A lot is being written currently about how the health, social and economic impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic are having a much bigger impact on the poor in both the UK snd USA, a section of the population in with BAME people are already over-represented. As seems to be the case with any crisis, the basic inequalities in Western societies are thrown into sharp relief. The same could be said of course of the impact of the virus on underdeveloped countries of the world. For further reading here are several recent articles and quotes.
Afua Hirsch writing in the Guardian asks: “If coronavirus doesn’t discriminate, how come black people are bearing the brunt?” A study of 2000 critical ill patients in the UK shows 35% are BAME: twice the representation in the wider population. Afua cites the #CharitySoWhite urgent call for action over the disproportionate impact of the virus on Britain’s minorities. Read the full article.
A letter in today’s Independent from Deryck Browne Chief executive, African Health Policy Network, states: Inequality means some are suffering more than others from this pandemic. This government hypocritically claps the same frontline staff that it decimated with its austerity cuts, wage freezes and fiscal responsibility. The communities that suffered when local authority budgets were cut, Sure Start centres closed and charities’ funds slashed are proving to be the same communities likely most vulnerable to contracting the virus.” Read more here.
In the USA Bernie Sanders has said ‘Systemic racism’ is behind higher African American deaths amid growing evidence that people of colour, especially African Americans, make up a disproportionate number of people being infected or killed by the virus. Read the full article.
According to an Associated Press analysis of the USA’s 13,000 deaths thus far about 3.300 or 42% were black, double the proportion of African Americans in the total population in the areas covered by the analysis. Read more here.
BBC News 9/4/20: “It is New York’s poorest districts heavily populated with African-Americans and Hispanics that are being hardest hit by this health and economic crisis”.
“When you’re in one of the poorest communities in the country, it already was a challenge… What people are watching right now is what happens when you don’t invest in addressing poverty for generations.” Michael Blake, New York State Assemblyman.
