| Healthcare Inequality Sooner or later, we all get sick, and we all need healthcare. Of course, not all Americans have equal access to healthcare. Some of us can’t afford it. Some live far from quality providers. Some experience prejudice based on race, sex, or gender identity. The result? Huge numbers of people suffer and die from health problems they could have avoided — if they’d had equal access to healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic shines a light on a harsh truth. Black Americans are more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than any other ethnic group. In some states, including DC, the mortality rate of Black Americans is 5 to 6 times as high as it is for White Americans. Experts say this is partly because chronic conditions that raise the risk of dying from COVID-19 — like asthma, heart disease, and diabetes — are more common in minority communities. But again, that’s often because these communities have less access to healthcare and health education. And yet, when it comes to healthcare costs, we all affect each other. No man, or social demographic, is an island. Everyone needs medical care at some point. That can mean cost-effective, regular preventive screenings — like mammograms and colonoscopies — that help people avoid health problems. But it can also mean high-priced treatments when chronic conditions go untreated. Insulin for diabetes. Chemotherapy for cancer. ER trips for heart attacks. Not to mention the avoidable pain, suffering, and death that disproportionately affects people of color. Untreated conditions require more expensive treatments down the line. And — whether it’s the person, the hospital, health insurance, or the government — someone has to pay for it. Low health literacy and less access to healthcare for some people means higher healthcare costs for everyone. Extreme events like a pandemic have a way of giving clarity to a murky situation. And if one thing’s been made clear, it’s that we need to fix racial health disparities — and aim for real healthcare equality. It’s not just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. |
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Jerry Gulley currently serves as EdLogics’ Chief Content Officer. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has held positions with Cooking Light, Health, and AllRecipes.
May 27, 2020 will be the day recorded that U.S. fatalities from COVID-19 surpassed 100,000. For perspective, Macon, Georgia; Gary, Indiana; Asheville, North Carolina; Miami Beach, Florida; and Scranton, Pennsylvania are all cities with populations under 100,000. At the same time, states continue the complicated and uncertain process of reopening.
Here are some updates from our clinicians, accurate as of May 27, 2:00 PM EST:
United States of America Statistics:
Cases Diagnosed – 1,740,521
Recovered – 484,811
Deaths – 101,490
Get the latest updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Antibody tests for COVID-19 may be wrong up to half the time, CDC says.
Half of Americans would get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent poll.
How does COVID-19 kill patients?
Frequently Asked Question:
“My spouse is an essential worker. How can they stay safe at work and how can my family stay safe at home?”
According to the CDC, employers should:
- Take the employee’s temperature and symptoms before they enter the work place.
- Clean and disinfect all work spaces, bathrooms, common areas, and shared equipment as often as possible.
- Try to keep air moving in the building.
- Send home any employee with symptoms right away.
Employees should:
- Always wear a face mask at work.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others while working and taking breaks, if possible.
- Wash their hands often throughout the day.
- Avoid sharing headsets or other things used near their face.
If your spouse is exposed to sick people every day, they may want to shower and change clothes as soon as they get home to protect others in the house. But the CDC says there isn’t enough evidence to know how much it helps.
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Jerry Gulley currently serves as EdLogics’ Chief Content Officer. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has held positions with Cooking Light, Health, and AllRecipes.
Homebodies
Like it or not, almost all of us are homebodies now.
A stay-at-home order has a way of doing that.
But that could be changing soon. It might come as a relief to hear the lockdown is being lifted in some areas.
Not so fast.
In different states, restaurants, gyms, barber shops, and other businesses are starting to open up, with restrictions. But that doesn’t mean you have to go out.
The lockdown may be lifting, but that doesn’t mean the coronavirus is gone.
People are still getting sick. Infection rates haven’t even peaked everywhere. In many areas, the number of new infections per day is still growing. According to the CDC, new cases are expected to rise in the coming weeks — with total deaths topping 100,000 by June 1.
And even in places where the infection rate has peaked — like in New York City — that just means the number of new infections per day has started to go down instead of up. The number doesn’t drop to zero. Even with new infections on the decline, there are still new infections every day. Many, many more people will get sick before this is over.
You can still spread the coronavirus without even knowing you have it.
You can still get the coronavirus from someone who seems perfectly healthy. One person can infect dozens more in an enclosed space like a restaurant or nightclub in just a short time.
If you do go out, continue to practice physical distancing. Stay at least 6 feet away from others. Wear a face mask in enclosed spaces, wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, and all the rest. Do your part to prevent getting and spreading the coronavirus, and — hopefully — we can avoid a resurgence.
It isn’t the time to start giving out bear hugs, handshakes, or even high-fives. Not yet!
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Jerry Gulley currently serves as EdLogics’ Chief Content Officer. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has held positions with Cooking Light, Health, and AllRecipes.
More states are reopening and further relaxing the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. Testing grows more available while work on a possible vaccine continues.
Here are some updates from our clinicians, accurate as of May 17, 11:00PM EST:
United States of America Statistics:
Cases Diagnosed – 1,531,727
Recovered – 346,786
Deaths – 91,061
Get the latest updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Moderna says initial COVID-19 vaccine results are positive.
A person who was COVID-19 positive attended a church service and exposed 180 people, officials say.
How the post COVID-19 workplace will be different.
Frequently Asked Question:
Why is COVID more deadly for people of color?
In many parts of the US, the rate of confirmed cases and deaths is much higher among African Americans and Hispanics than other racial or ethnic groups. Experts say this may be for several reasons:
- More long-term health problems: African Americans are more likely to have chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, obesity, and kidney disease. These health problems raise anyone’s risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
- Less access to health care: People of color in some cities or states may be less likely to have health insurance or access to health care.
- Jobs, housing, and transportation: Many people of color live and work where it’s harder to stay away from others who may be infected with COVID-19.
- People of color are more likely to live in big cities and in apartment buildings.
- They may rely on subways, buses, and other forms of public transportation.
- They often hold essential jobs in health care, child care, grocery work, food service, and public works — so they have to continue going to work throughout the crisis.
For more answers to your questions, visit our coronavirus FAQ page.
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Jerry Gulley currently serves as EdLogics’ Chief Content Officer. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has held positions with Cooking Light, Health, and AllRecipes.
Several states’ “safer at home” guidelines are set to expire or be revisited this week. Across the globe work continues on several vaccines, while officials learn more about early symptoms.
Here are some updates from our clinicians, accurate as of May 10, 11:00PM EST:
United States of America Statistics:
Cases Diagnosed – 1,362,792
Recovered – 256,418
Deaths – 80,067
Get the latest updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Triple drug therapy helps coronavirus patients recover more quickly, study finds.
Doctors update warning signs of severe COVID-19.
Understanding the two “super types” of coronavirus.
Frequently Asked Question:
How can I protect myself if I live with someone who has COVID-19?
The person who is sick should:
- Stay in a separate bedroom and use a separate bathroom if they can. If that’s not possible, open a window or use a fan to keep air moving in the shared room. It will help remove infected droplets from the air.
- Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.
- Wear a cloth face mask when they have to be around others.
You and other caregivers should:
- Wear disposable gloves if you have to clean up any bodily fluids.
- Consider wearing a cloth face mask when you’re caring for the sick person.
- Put a trash can with a trash bag in their room and use it to throw away disposable gloves, tissues, cleaning wipes, and anything else that could have the virus on it.
- Call the doctor if the person gets worse, especially if they’re older or have lung disease, heart problems, diabetes, obesity, or other serious medical problems. If they have a fever, ask the doctor if they can have an over-the-counter medicine.
- Bring them their meals and make sure you eat in a separate room.
- Use your own dishes, utensils, phone, or other electronic devices. Wash the sick person’s dishes in a dishwasher or use hot soapy water.
- Keep out unnecessary visitors, including pets.
- Wash your hands with soap and water often throughout the day, and especially after you take off and throw away disposable gloves.
- Clean and disinfect often-touched surfaces, especially door knobs, light switches, sinks, toilets, tables, and electronics.
For more answers to your questions, visit our coronavirus FAQ page.
Subscribe now. Know when we publish our latest articles on health literacy, gamification, and healthcare.
Jerry Gulley currently serves as EdLogics’ Chief Content Officer. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has held positions with Cooking Light, Health, and AllRecipes.