tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
. 2020 Jul 17.
doi: 10.1164/rccm.202005-1523PP. Online ahead of print.
The Structural and Social Determinants of the Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the U.S. COVID-19 Pandemic: What's Our Role?
Neeta Thakur[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christian Bime[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Juan P Wisnivesky[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Juan C Celed?n[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Health Equality and Diversity Committee of the American Thoracic Society
Affiliations
Abstract
The Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally impacted historically disadvantaged populations, with infection and mortality rates among Black and Latinx Americans far exceeding the proportion of the population that these groups represent. We, as researchers, educators, and critical care and pulmonary providers on the frontline of care for all individuals, believe it is important to reflect on the root causes for these striking disparities. Moreover, recent incidences of structural violence highlight the need to recognize the critical role of racism in causing and perpetuating health disparities. Without attention to the underlying causes, it is difficult to enact equitable action. Applying the World Health Organization Conceptual Framework for Action, we examine the social and structural determinants of health (SDOH) that contributed to disparities in the care and outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Applying this lens, we identify three potential critical targets for action: 1) increased exposure due to occupation and/or living circumstances that make social distancing and self-isolation more difficult, 2) limited access to accurate, up to date information regarding the health risks of COVID-19, and 3) limited and differential access to healthcare services, including coronavirus testing and care. In this perspective, we focus on action steps that we, as members of the American Thoracic Society, should take to actively change the status quo and influence policies that address root causes. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords: COVID-19; Health Disparities; Social Determinants of Health.
. 2020 Jul 17.
doi: 10.1164/rccm.202005-1523PP. Online ahead of print.
The Structural and Social Determinants of the Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the U.S. COVID-19 Pandemic: What's Our Role?
Neeta Thakur[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christian Bime[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Juan P Wisnivesky[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Juan C Celed?n[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Health Equality and Diversity Committee of the American Thoracic Society
Affiliations
- PMID: 32677842
- DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202005-1523PP
Abstract
The Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally impacted historically disadvantaged populations, with infection and mortality rates among Black and Latinx Americans far exceeding the proportion of the population that these groups represent. We, as researchers, educators, and critical care and pulmonary providers on the frontline of care for all individuals, believe it is important to reflect on the root causes for these striking disparities. Moreover, recent incidences of structural violence highlight the need to recognize the critical role of racism in causing and perpetuating health disparities. Without attention to the underlying causes, it is difficult to enact equitable action. Applying the World Health Organization Conceptual Framework for Action, we examine the social and structural determinants of health (SDOH) that contributed to disparities in the care and outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Applying this lens, we identify three potential critical targets for action: 1) increased exposure due to occupation and/or living circumstances that make social distancing and self-isolation more difficult, 2) limited access to accurate, up to date information regarding the health risks of COVID-19, and 3) limited and differential access to healthcare services, including coronavirus testing and care. In this perspective, we focus on action steps that we, as members of the American Thoracic Society, should take to actively change the status quo and influence policies that address root causes. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords: COVID-19; Health Disparities; Social Determinants of Health.