The coronavirus didn’t cause the racial disparities we see in the healthcare system, but it did underscore the urgency of fixing them. WebMD Chief Medical Officer drjohnwhyte shares his thoughts with the orlandosentinel:
Hispanic and Black Americans are four and nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than their white counterparts. And they’re about 2.5 and 3.8 times more likely to perish from the virus.
Communities of color have long suffered from higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. And the reasons for these disparities are hardly a mystery. Low-income communities and communities of color don’t have the same opportunities to participate in and maintain healthy lifestyles. Mere access to the healthcare system doesn’t guarantee good health.
Don’t dismiss the impact of bias and discrimination. A Black patient of mine recently told me he’s afraid to go outside for a jog because he doesn’t want to get stopped by the police.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Thom Tillis Staffer Tells a Cancer Survivor to Not Get Health Coverage if She Can’t Afford ItAn unusually blunt summary of the politics of health care.
Read more »
Hilary Swank Sues SAG-AFTRA Over 'Barbaric' Health PlanHilary Swank is taking legal action after saying that her SAG-AFTRA health plan doesn't 'treat and protect all of their members equally.'
Read more »
Ellen Pompeo dedicates 'Grey's Anatomy' season 17 to health care workers'This season is for you with humility and a bit of humor to get us through and endless amounts of gratitude.'
Read more »
Dear White People: Here Are 10 Actions You Can Take To Promote Racial Justice In The WorkplaceBlack people alone can't fix racial injustice. Here are 10 ways white people can help make a difference in their workplace.
Read more »
Scarcity of key material squeezes manufacturing of medical masks for COVID-19 protectionsPressure on the medical supply chain continues today, and in “many ways things have only gotten worse,” the American Medical Association’s president, Dr. Susan Bailey, said in a recent statement.
Read more »
China's digital health care start-ups get a boost from the coronavirus, Beijing and investorsThe coronavirus pandemic is proving to be the accelerator that China's health care technology start-ups needed.
Read more »