COVID-19: A Mirror to Our Flaws

Combating Outbreaks in North Carolina: Lessons Learned

“…Lack of adequate funding for public health means that LHDs have experienced progressive loss of workforce, and struggle to keep up with case investigation and contact tracing [18]. Misinformation and pockets of distrust serve to counteract the effectiveness of public health messages about COVID-19, use of masks, need for social distancing, and vaccine safety [19].…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic discrimination - a systematic review

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the lives of all social groups, particularly ethnic and racial minorities, posing greater challenges to them and adversely affecting their lives and functioning [1][2][3][4]. In recent years, researchers have been increasingly interested in the wide-ranging issue of racial inequality and its effects on human health, especially in the ways that ethnic discrimination affects well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic [5][6][7].…”

“…Recent studies have demonstrated that even after accounting for numerous factors such as socioeconomic status, demography, occupation, health care resources, and pre-existing health conditions, regions with more racial minorities still show higher infection and/or mortality rates [9][10][11]. In her commentary, E. Pettigrew has put forward a thesis that discrimination and difficult access to health services of racial minorities result in higher COVID -19 mortality and infection rates as well as higher mortality from other diseases [7,12]. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) report reveals alarming racial and ethnic health disparities.…”