Why Racial Disparities in healthcare make COVID-19’s impact worse for minorities

Based on viewing the Johnson & Johnson video, what are your thoughts about health care inequalities and the need for continuing reform? (Share at least 2 points of view.)

Submission Instructions:

• Your initial post should be at least 600 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 3 academic sources

Why Racial Disparities in healthcare make COVID-19’s impact worse for minorities (1:58)
Johnson & Johnson. (2020, August 25). Why racial disparities in healthcare make COVID-19s impact worse for minorities [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CXNkDDWxGxk

Why Racial Disparities in healthcare make COVID-19’s impact worse for minorities

Introduction

The United States is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world. However, there are still many disparities between whites and blacks in healthcare. In this article I will explain what these disparities are, how they affect minorities, and how we can try to improve them using genetic information and environmental factors like socioeconomic status (SES).

Minority Representation in Healthcare

• Minorities are underrepresented in healthcare.
• Minorities are underrepresented in research.
• Minorities are underrepresented in clinical trials.
• Minorities are underrepresented in medical schools, where they make up only 2% of the total student body (and less than 1% at some schools). For example, at the University of California (UC), only 5% of entering freshmen were African American or Hispanic; this figure has remained consistent for 20 years! Similarly, only 7% of medical students were female as recently as 2012—a statistic that hasn’t improved since then either!

Minority Health Problems

Minority health problems are well documented. There is strong evidence that minority communities experience higher rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer; these diseases cause millions of deaths each year. Further, minorities are less likely to get preventive care than whites do and this lack of care leads to higher mortality rates from these illnesses in the long run.

Additionally, racial disparities in health outcomes can be explained by multiple factors including socioeconomic status (SES), education level and access to care among other factors. For example:

• Socioeconomic factors such as income levels typically determine how much money you have available for healthcare expenses each year – if your income is low then it will be harder for you to afford medical bills or other costs associated with getting sick without insurance coverage through Medicaid/Medicare etc… Likewise if someone has low SES they may struggle financially during times when they need medical attention most such as winter months when cold weather makes us all feel worse but doesn’t mean we need more treatment! This means fewer people eligible under Medicaid/Medicare programs which makes them ineligible unless there’s another subsidy available through charity organizations like churches etc…

Racial Disparities in Healthcare

The good news is that racial disparities in healthcare are well documented. The first step to improving health care is to acknowledge the problem, which means understanding how race and ethnicity affect your risk of getting sick or dying prematurely.

Second, you need to know how these disparities play out at each stage of treatment: before you’re admitted into hospital, during your stay there (or while on home care), after leaving the hospital or nursing facility and then again when seeking follow-up care later on down the road.

Thirdly, it’s important for people of all races—and especially minorities—to be aware of their own individual experiences with those issues so they can take action if needed!

Genetic Differences between Blacks and Whites

The genetic makeup of Black and White people is different. Differences in the way genes are expressed, translated, regulated and inherited explain why Black patients are less likely to respond well to treatment than their White counterparts.

For example:

• Genes can be expressed differently by each individual’s cells. This means that some people might not have the same amount of certain proteins encoded by their DNA as others do; they may also have reduced production levels or activity compared with other people’s bodies (which could impact how well they respond to drugs).
• Some genes code for proteins that are involved in immune response and inflammation; this means that there could be differences in how easily our bodies respond when we’re sick with COVID-19 infection because these genes affect our ability to fight off viruses such as COVID-19 through increased production levels or activity compared with other people’s bodies (which would affect how quickly we recover from an illness).

Racial Differences in Environmental Factors

In addition to its impact on how people live, health and well-being, COVID-19 also has an effect on environmental factors. These environmental factors are more likely to affect people of color because they may be less likely to have access to resources like air conditioning; however, there are ways we can mitigate this issue.

When it comes to medical care, racial disparities in healthcare make COVID-19’s impact worse for minorities. For example:

• People of color often live in areas with higher crime rates which makes it harder for them to get treatment when they need it most (because there aren’t enough ambulances or police officers). This makes it more difficult for them seek help from emergency rooms than their peers who live in safer neighborhoods where crime isn’t as common.*
• Minority communities also tend not  to have adequate transportation options available during times of crisis such as hurricanes or earthquakes; this means that if your house floods as a result of these natural disasters you may not have access even if you wanted one nearby!

I hope that someone can help me understand what we can do to improve healthcare for everyone, including minorities.

I hope that someone can help me understand what we can do to improve healthcare for everyone, including minorities.

It’s important to understand that there are differences between races and ethnicities. We have a responsibility to help everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity. If you’re not sure if your actions are racist or not, ask yourself if they would be offensive in any way if the person was from another country? If it wouldn’t be offensive then it isn’t racist! Everyone has the same rights as anyone else regardless of where they live or what language they speak (or don’t speak).

Conclusion

I hope that someone can help me understand what we can do to improve healthcare for everyone, including minorities.