Coronavirus does not discriminate. But experts warn that COVID-19 will cause more suffering among U.S. Black and Latino workers, due to societal inequities shaped by structural racism and low-paying jobs with no chance of telework. "When the COVID-19 pandemic has ended in this country, we will see an unequal distribution of infections and deaths along the intersecting lines of race and class," wrote labor historian Christopher Hayes in the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Why is this?
Coronavirus Compounded: Income Inequities among Latino Workers
These statistics show a glimpse of how much Latino workers earn: 1 in 3 Latinos live in poverty.
1 in 2 Latino families are low-income.
Nearly 60% of Latinos earn less than $15/hour (vs. 39% of full-time workers overall). In ...
Coronavirus is locking down much of the United States, making it harder for vulnerable populations like Latinos to get information, especially those who speak Spanish. Fortunately, new resources are popping up for Spanish-language Latinos. Here are some of our favorites!
CDC Promotes Spanish-Language Coronavirus Resources for Latinos
About 37 million Latinos in the U.S. speak Spanish at home. But the CDC wasn't on the Spanish-language boat from the onset of coronavirus. In fact, on March 17, 2020, the website Latino Rebels shared that CDC was behind in translating its "15 Days to Slow the Spread" coronavirus recommendations. They finally posted it three days later. But now their Spanish-language website has lots of information. They cover how COVID-10 spreads, symptoms, ...
Cancer patients are at higher risk for the new coronavirus COVID-19, as well as more severe outcomes of the diseases, than those without cancer, health experts say. What does this mean for your cancer journey? For treatment? Screening? Clinical trials? Latinos and vulnerable populations? "We don't want to be overly alarming, but the truth is that Latino and all cancer patients should be concerned about COVID-19 because they are at higher risk," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and associate director of community outreach and education at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. "So we want to help spread truthful, equitable information that will help all cancer patients in their journeys." Here are some important issues for cancer patients and ...
As families practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 and as governments close non-essential businesses, employees are losing their jobs and transit is losing ridership. Economists estimate that nearly three million Americans could lose their jobs by summer. Many of these are low-wage workers in service industries with little savings to get through a recession. Recently President Trump warned Senate Republicans that the coronavirus pandemic could cause the unemployment rate to reach 20%, according to NBC News. This is double the highest unemployment rate from the Great Recession. On March 25, 2020, U.S. legislators agreed to a $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus bill. “Without federal financial assistance, many transit agencies and paratransit service ...
The spread of coronavirus, COVID-19, is now a global pandemic. Health officials are working tirelessly to inform the public. They are working on a fast-paced method for widespread testing, and doing everything possible to slow the spread of the coronavirus. What is still scary? This disease impacts those with underlying conditions more significantly, especially Latinos who suffer vast health disparities. "People with diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and other serious underlying conditions are more likely to develop serious outcomes, including death [due to coronavirus]," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CNBC reports.
Coronavirus COVID-19's Impact on People With Underlying Illnesses
Reported ...
Clean hands are critical to reduce the spread of infection, particularly coronavirus (COVID-19). However, washing with soap and water isn’t always option. In 1966, nursing student, Lupe Hernandez, realized alcohol in gel form could be an effective way to clean hands when soap and water weren’t available. She called an inventions hotline to learn about patenting hand sanitizer. Over 50 years later, Hernandez's invention is still saving lives against threatening diseases and protecting brave medical professionals. Hand sanitizer sales and wipes has grown steadily. They expanded beyond hospitals and care homes to supermarkets and personal accessories. The U.S. market of hand sanitizer was $28 million in 2002. In 2009, hand sanitizer sales soared in the wake of ...
Older people are highly susceptible to the coronavirus COVID-19, but young adults aren't off the hook, either. Almost 40% of U.S. coronavirus patients who were sick enough to need hospitalization were between the ages of 20 to 54, according to recent CDC data. "I think everyone should be paying attention to this," Stephen S. Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, told the New York Times. "It's not just going to be the elderly. There will be people age 20 and up. They do have to be careful, even if they think that they're young and healthy."
Why Coronavirus is a Concern for Young People
Globally, officials are reporting 246,276 confirmed cases or coronavirus, with 90,000 recoveries and 10,000 deaths. Out of the 508 U.S. ...
The coronavirus pandemic is weakening the already-fragile rural health care safety net, and endangering health of rural residents, public health experts say. Here are a few ways this is happening.
The Rural Health Care System and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Rural hospitals are small businesses that their communities rely upon. But health staff is becoming sick. Cash-flow problems are at crisis levels, according to the National Rural Health Association. They list these troubles: Adequate number of supplies and tests
EMS shortages, as many in rural communities are volunteers;
Overall workforce shortages if rural providers get sick;
Telehealth waivers and site flexibility for Rural Health Clinics;
Critical Access Hospital waivers; and
Need for loan ...
People need to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Covid-19. However, for the 27% of the U.S. private workforce with no paid sick leave, staying home isn’t an option, particularly for the full prescribed 14-day quarantine. That’s why a form of paid sick leave and family/childcare leave are part of a new $100 billion relief law, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which also includes nutrition aid, unemployment health insurance, and free COVID-19 testing. Trump signed the new law on March 18, 2020. It goes into effect April 2, 2020. But the new law could leave out up to 19 million workers, roughly 12% of the workforce, including many low-income Latinos, women, and other vulnerable populations, experts say. Moreover, economists estimate that three ...
