Yo! Just in case it isn't clear: when people say "COVID-19 is disproportionately killing communities of color", they do NOT mean that Black + brown people are biologically more at risk/more sensitive to the virus.
They mean that the structure of society is built in a way that systematically and meticulously eats away at the probability of safety and survival. COVID-19 entered the timeline at a moment where circumstances aren't equal, and it's preyed on those inequities.
How many ICU beds are there per capita near your home? What's the quality of care you might expect (demand) to receive? How much outrage is there if you're not taken care of, and who is expressing the outrage? Does the way they're expressing outrage turn heads? Attract resources?
Does your employer prioritize your health in the workplace? Do they pay for your healthcare? How much of it? What are the tradeoffs between seeking care and absorbing the cost of care? Will you still have access to affordable healthcare if you can't work?
If you have health insurance, can you afford your co-pay? Have you met your deductible? If you can't/haven't, what's the interest rate on the credit card you feel like you have no choice but to charge?
Do you live in a multi-generational household, where the health and care of your family is contingent upon your own health? Is it contingent upon your income? What if it's both?
If you get sick, what latitude does your family have to adapt? Do they have space for you to self-isolate? Time to take care of you? Money to cover your lost work hours? Flexibility to redistribute childcare responsibilities?
What amount of control do you have over whether/to what extent you interact with people who don't take the virus seriously? What are the consequences for protecting yourself/your family? Of raising concern or voicing apprehension?
Is your employer interested in expediting your vaccination? Do your past experiences with medical care make you trust the institution of science, such that you're inclined to be vaccinated?
Semantic shortcuts can be useful, but it kinda seems like they predispose us to some dangerous heuristical thinking. Just thought I'd add some precision to the language I've been seeing, just in case. ✌🏼
You can follow @camurphy3.
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