Introduction
The COVID-19 disease has unearthed several sociological issues in American society. For instance, all races have not been equally impacted by the pandemic. The rate at which people have been contracting the disease varies from one group to another. Dealing with the impact of COVID-19 has also been a challenge to people from various races. The pandemic-related issues such as substantial medical bills, death, disability, and orphanage among children have been prevalent among the victims of the disease (Hill & Artiga, 2022). The social procedures established to minimize the spread of the virus have yet to achieve equitability. Some societies have been benefitting more than others. For instance, remote learning has disadvantaged learners from minority groups since such communities may lack the resources and infrastructure to support the program. The issue of working from home has also been a significant disadvantage to those employees whose jobs cannot be done remotely. Specific populations were more prone to misinformation about vaccination as others could not access the jabs.
I opted to study the relationship between COVID-19 death rates and race. I chose the topic because racism has been an issue of concern in society for several years. The whites have been perceived as superior to the minor races, including Latin, Hispanics, Asians, Indians, and African-Americans. Minority groups are usually viewed as lesser beings in all spheres of life. This notion has been applied in the health sector leading to more deaths among marginalized groups than their white counterparts (Matthewman & Huppatz, 2020). I have also been closely monitoring the data showing the death rates of COVID-19 patients among whites and minority groups. The records have been revealing that blacks, Asians, and Hispanic experience more deaths from the pandemic relative to whites. People of color have also been affected by new COVID-19 variants disproportionately.
In America, people from minority groups, especially Latinx and Blacks, have been impacted by COVID-19 variably. Their white counterparts are less prone to the disease and suffer its complications (Hill & Artiga, 2022). This significant disparity is mainly associated with stereotypes about people from various races. Such stereotypes have led people to associate minority groups with poverty and secure employment in sectors requiring physical presence. As a result of engaging in tasks that facilitate the spread of infectious diseases, people of color have suffered the brunt of Covid-19.
Generally, people of color have been hard hit by Covid-19. Members of this group are more likely to contract the virus and succumb to it than the whites. There are several reasons that account for the inequalities in the covid-19 related issues. People of color are more gullible to poverty and underlying health problems. They are also likely to seek job opportunities that make them prone to contracting the virus. Most work in the restaurant and food industry, transportation, and healthcare sectors. Jobs in transport and food processing cannot be done remotely. Since the jobs are done mainly by members of minority groups, their chances of contracting COVID-19 are higher than those working in other sectors (Matthewman & Huppatz, 2020). Again, most people of color live in large households and use public transport to reach different places. Such places are overcrowded, making the victims more prone to infectious ailments.
Racial and ethnic health inequalities plague people of color across different regions. These disparities lead to poor health outcomes, as revealed in the COVID-19 disease. Ethnic minorities experience socioeconomic deprivation, poor medical attention, and minimal health insurance policies. These factors lead to insufficient utilization of healthcare services and therefore increase cases of long-term diseases. Once COVID-19 attacks a person with underlying conditions, their survival chances are meager (Yel & Kasapoglu, 2021). Social class plays a significant role in influencing communal stereotypes. For instance, people of color are associated with poverty and a low social ranking. These stereotypes make such people land jobs that put their health at risk. The high level of poverty among the minorities compels them to use public transport and also live in crowded places. These inequalities contribute to enhanced COVID-19 domination among them.
Sociologists have been interested in studying Covid-19 and its impact because the pandemic has illustrated the connection between health and social inequalities. Based on earlier studies, race harmed how Covid-19 has been handled in American society (Hill & Artiga, 2022). Accessing quality healthcare services has been affected by racial background. The whites seem to enjoy high-quality medical services compared to those from marginalized communities. People of color have been stereotyped as poverty-stricken and, therefore, unable to cater for health insurance coverage.
Failure to benefit from timely medical interventions may lead to the development of long-term health conditions. People with underlying conditions have been dying from Covid-19 due to their low resilience to infectious diseases. Sociologists have been able to connect the relationship between social status and the level of impact of Covid-19. It has emerged that those people ranking low on the social ladder are the greatest victims of diseases that are widespread in congested areas (Zinn, 2021). Poor people are associated with crowded places such as public transport. Disparities in health are directly proportional to income inequalities, educational levels, and living standards. The entirety of these factors contributes to the social determinants of health. The outcome of Covid-19 has exposed the inequalities that exist between various groups in America and other places in the world.
Gender, race, and social class are the issues that support my answer regarding the connection between inequality and Covid-19 in the United States. People who rank lowest in the social ranking are more prone to poverty and securing jobs that expose them to the risk of contracting viral diseases. Such people are more vulnerable to Covid-19 and its devastating consequences (Zinn, 2021). For this reason, it is evident that social class and health vary directly. Also, there is a positive correlation between race and health. For instance, whites in America are likelier to enjoy quality healthcare services than African-Americans and Latinx. The implication is that people of color will contract and succumb to infectious diseases more often than whites. Covid-19 will be more widespread among marginalized groups than the majority ones. In terms of gender, women are more prone to secure jobs that cannot be done remotely than men. This scenario implies that women are more likely to contract Covid-19 than men. More women work in the healthcare sector, with high chances of contracting infectious diseases.
Conclusion
Racial inequality in the United States is directly linked to the severe impacts of Covid-19. People of color are more likely to contract and succumb to the virus than their white counterparts. The Blacks and the Latinos are associated with poverty and occupations that put their health at risk of contracting infectious diseases. Also, members of marginalized communities cannot access quality healthcare services. Therefore, this group will likely develop underlying conditions and die of Covid-19. People from marginalized groups have limited access to vaccines, which is another contributing factor to higher morbidity.
References
Hill, L., & Artiga, S. (2022, August 22). COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Race/Ethnicity: Current Data and Changes Over Time.
Matthewman, S., & Huppatz, K. (2020). Sociology of Covid-19. Journal of Sociology, 56(4), 144078332093941. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783320939416
Yel, C., & Kasapoglu, A. (2021). Effects of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Sociological Study on Pharmacies in Sivas. Reports on Global Health Research. https://www.gavinpublishers.com/article/view/effects-of-the-covid-19-pandemic:-a-sociological-study-on-pharmacies-in-sivas
Zinn, J. O. (2021). Conclusions: Towards a sociology of pandemics and beyond. Current Sociology, 001139212110235. https://doi.org/10.1177/00113921211023518
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