COVID-19 can affect anyone. But, in reality, it's worsening the health and social inequities facing U.S. Latinos. Now the pandemic is raising fears of racial/ethnic and income disparities in coronavirus exposure, testing, prevention via social distancing, and treatment. "As the number of cases rises, citizens are rightfully concerned about who is getting tested and who will receive treatment," writes health equity adviser Brian Williams in a column for the Dallas Morning News. "For those who exist on the margins of health care justice, access to life-saving treatment is never guaranteed."
Disparities in Coronavirus Exposure
We know Latinos are more likely than their white peers to suffer from poverty, underlying conditions, and a lack of quality housing and transit. They also ...
Experts say people who have underlying health conditions should guard against COVID-19. In fact, CDC now says that U.S. adults with diabetes, chronic lung disease, and heart disease are at higher risk for severe COVID-19-associated disease than people without these conditions. Latinos face a heavier burden for several of these conditions. The American Heart Association even warned elderly people with heart disease or hypertension. "Based on current information, it appears elderly people with coronary heart disease or hypertension are more likely to be infected and to develop more severe symptoms," according to AHA. "Stroke survivors may also face increased risk for complications if they get COVID-19" According to the latest report from State Department of Health, out of the ...
COVID-19 doesn't discriminate. But U.S. Latinos are more likely than all Americans to say the coronavirus pandemic changed their daily lives, and disrupts their mental health, finances, and jobs, according to new Pew Research Center surveys. "Latinos make up significant portions of the hospitality, construction, leisure and agricultural sectors of our labor market, and are the largest uninsured population in America," wrote Kristian Ramos, ex-spokesman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for The Hill. "These workers and uninsured families are unable to telecommute, will not be paid if their jobs are lost, and likely do not have immediate access to health care."
Latino Daily Life During COVID-19
Early on in the outbreak, Pew Research Center reported that a higher percentage of ...
Coronavirus can affect anyone. 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. UPDATE 4/23/20: 26 million people have filed jobless claims in the past five weeks, NBC News reports. 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 ...
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! Update 5/11/20: Check out our bilingual infographic and the bilingual La Loteria COVID-19 Bingo game!
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 ...
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 ...
