The blight of the the Coronavirus pandemic may have its greatest impact on Blacks, the poor and the uninsured.
The fact is that many minorities are still working "on the front lines" in blue collar positions that are keeping the nation afloat. They are potentially at greater risk and may not have the same means to get help. Blacks and low income people need assurance that they will not be side-lined for testing and treatment during the Coronavirus crisis.
In looking at states like Louisiana, currently under state-wide stay-at-home order, a large percentage of the 4.6 million plus residents are not prepared to handle the outbreak, nor is the state itself. Louisiana checks off all of the boxes for instability during a crisis of this magnitude, from dense rural areas of low employment to cities with underemployment to high crime rates. No stranger to unexpected disasters, Louisiana has survived through its share of turbulent times which have negatively impacted its infrastructure. The resilience of the people has repeatedly passed the test, but the current status of the area has all the right ingredients for a potential catastrophe.
U.S. News and World Reports ranks the Pelican state 45th in the nation for healthcare, 48th for its infrastructure, 49th for the economy ind 50th in the nation for crime. (High crime patterns and poverty are interlinked.) Additionally, in December of 2019 the Department of Family Services announced SNAP cutbacks saying, "A federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security and veterans benefits for 2020 will result in decreases to some Louisiana residents' Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps, as well as benefits through the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP)."
There are approximately 17% of the state population is SNAP dependent, 71%of which are in families with children; more than
36% are in families with members who are elderly or have disabilities(Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.)
Fortunately, the governor of Louisiana says his state has the fastest rise in the virus in the world and received and approved emergency disaster relief from Pres. Donald Trump for help.
I later revisited the covern wwith a House House spokesperson who said, "As President Trump has said, we are going to ensure that we take care of all Americans, including affected industries and small businesses, and that we emerge from this challenge stronger and with a prosperous and growing economy."
Is access equally available to the financially vulnerable? Is simply saying all Americans will be covered enough?
Minorities, the poor and uninsured are rightfully concerned about getting healthcare. Blacks and low income people need assurance that they will not be side-lined for testing and treatment in the Coronavirus crisis. Although the virus has leveled our humanity, the reality of the economic disparities disenfranchised people faced before it struck has not faded.
The minorities, the poor and marginalized have reason to question the the messages that come out of the Trump White House as the president as blatantly lied about various actions and blamed previous administrations for problems he could not handle. Trump said in a White House press briefing, "We inherited a broken, obsolete system" and on a separate occasion he "takes o responsibility" for
There is no telling what Trump will do to exploit the pandemic to further his white supremacist policies, lest you forget the 70,000 migrant children already locked up in ICE detention centers, including Black children from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Understanding the context of American medical racism should inspire an awareness and diligent plan of action especially when confronting a potentially deadly infectious disease such as COVID-19.