fbpx

Results for:

Social and Racial Justice

< Back to all posts

How do we overcome mistrust in the vaccines, especially with Black Americans?

Social and Racial Justice Vaccines

A: As many as half of Black Americans have expressed reluctance to take the COVID-19 vaccines (1), which some attribute to the enduring legacy of the egregious Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Reticence to take the coronavirus vaccine is complicated. Listening and understanding history is critical. Contrary to many peoples’ understanding of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Black Read more…

Trauma and COVID-19

Mental Health Social and Racial Justice

Q: I’ve heard people using language about trauma and COVID-19. Can you explain? I know COVID-19 is bad… but what makes it traumatizing? A: COVID-19 has caused tragic loss for people around the world. What we consider to be a *loss* is very personal, and can be so emotionally intense that it creates traumatic responses. Read more…

You asked for more Heroes of the Pandemic. We’ve got ’em! Dr. Ala Stanford

Social and Racial Justice Vaccines Women in STEM

Tonight we’re honored to introduce Dr. Ala Stanford, pediatric surgeon and founder of Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium in Philadelphia. Dr. Stanford has had an extraordinary career in medicine filled with both adventure and service. No stranger to “stepping up and stepping in”, she leapt into action in April, 2020 when she realized that Black Philadelphians Read more…

What is trust? Does trust impact the US COVID-19 vaccine response effort?

Social and Racial Justice Uncertainty and Misinformation Vaccines

A: Trust in our health system is influenced by our beliefs about its benefits and consequences to ourselves and others. Low trust can derail the best of public health and medical treatments. Trust in the US health system is complicated by experiences and historical events that non-majority communities. People need time, reliable information, and repeated Read more…

What do we know about racial/ethnic differences in COVID-19 mortality and the reasons for this?

Data and Metrics Social and Racial Justice

A. Recent data across U.S. states show that Black Americans and other people of color experience much higher mortality from COVID-19 than whites. Studies also point to structural barriers, and not biological susceptibility, that contribute to worse disease progression and higher mortality in these groups of Americans. We’ve previously posted on the U.S. death toll Read more…

How is the homeless/transient population doing during this pandemic?

Social and Racial Justice

In the United States, hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing homelessness each night. There are many reasons why people might be experiencing homelessness: some people are chronically homeless, some were recently evicted or lost their housing, some are leaving a violent situation, and some are staying with friends or family temporarily but might not Read more…

It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day. How are Native Americans doing during COVID-19?

Social and Racial Justice

A: Thank you for drawing attention to this important topic. By now, you’ve probably heard that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Unfortunately, Native American populations are not an exception. ** Native Americans are more than 5 times as likely to be hospitalized than non-Hispanic white Americans. This is a larger COVID-19 Read more…

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers? What can I do to help?

Mental Health Social and Racial Justice Staying Safe

A: People who work in healthcare are at risk for getting COVID-19 on the job and are also under tremendous stress from the demands of dealing with the pandemic. In the US, over 173,000 healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19 and at least 742 have died. Our doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists, and support staff face increasing Read more…

Can you put the United States death toll from Covid-19 into context?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Social and Racial Justice

A: More than 200,000 Americans have lost their lives to Covid-19. Counting does not do justice to the memory of each individual lost or the societal impact on our communities. Putting this huge number into context depends upon how we frame this mass casualty, our personal biases, and our proximity to death. Coronavirus is one Read more…

Can anything even be done about racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19?

Social and Racial Justice

A. Although the reasons for the disparities are numerous and complex, a few of our posts this week point to potential targets for intervention (e.g. segregation, healthcare system, and others). Clinicians and scientists have also offered data and policy solutions to address the high burden COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths that are disproportionately impacting minority Read more…

What about COVID-19 and other safety risks associated with protests and marches?

Social and Racial Justice Staying Safe

Q: My loved one has been out marching over the past few days. What about COVID-19 and other safety risks associated with protests and marches? A: We at Dear Pandemic are committed to helping you reduce the risks associated with every activity. We also believe that law enforcement agencies and local/state government have a large Read more…