COVID’s impact has been uneven.

Structurally disadvantaged communities have higher rates of COVID-19.

Though they make up less than 30% of the population, over 51% of Americans who tested positive for COVID-19 were BIPOC - most notably from Hispanic (24.4%) and Black (18.7%) communities.

Social Determinants of Health

As described by the CDC, many factors contribute to our health, like care we receive from doctors and nurses. However, there are many other things that create health - our income, occupation, education, and experiences of discrimination. These factors are called social determinants of health. 

Sometimes, social determinants of health help us to lead healthy lives - for example, certain communities have cultural practices that are a source of great strength and health for their community members. However, some social determinants can hurt our health. For example, we may live in a neighborhood without a grocery store that sells healthy food, and we may not have transportation to get to a store where we can buy healthy food. We may experience daily discrimination and stress about that discrimination due to our race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or ability status.

COVID-19 showed us that we have a long way to go when it comes to fixing health inequity.

Some groups experience COVID-19 infections at greater rates than others. If people from some communities do get COVID-19, they are much more likely to have serious results - like getting hospitalized or dying from the disease. Many Black, LatinX, and Native American communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Members of these communities and others have also been more affected if they have disabilities or are low-income. For many years, these communities have not been given fair access to the resources they need to be healthy.

Healthcare and Health Insurance

Under-resourced and underprivileged communities have less access to healthcare and health insurance. For immigrants or for whom English is their second language, it can be difficult to sign up for insurance.

People who are more likely to be uninsured:

• those from racial and ethnic minority groups

• those with less access to resources

• those from low-income backgrounds, regardless of race

Disabilities

1 in 4 Americans have a disability. People with disabilities face both social determinants of health and challenges within health care settings that cause them to experience poorer health outcomes. People with disabilities can face discrimination that results in stress, social challenges, unemployment and under-employment, and reduced educational opportunities - all which negatively affects their health. 

People with disabilities also face unique challenges when they seek health care. Exams, procedures and treatments may not be accessible to people with certain disabilities. Sometimes, health care workers do not respect people with disabilities or their opinions about their own care. For example, health care workers may assume that people with disabilities are unable to make their own decisions, or they may assume that every health concern a person with disability has must be related to their disability. All these issues result in people with disabilities receiving poorer quality health care.

Health equity for people with disabilities means that people with disabilities are respected, and that their right to have control of their own body and health is respected.

All people have a right to high-quality health care that meets their needs - including people with disabilities. Achieving health equity means that people with disabilities get care for both their disability and other conditions they may have. It also means that health care is accommodated to meet their needs.