Race, Class, Gender and COVID-19: Identifying barriers along paths leading to equitable health outcomes

Systematic health and social inequities increase vulnerabilities racial and ethnic minority groups, placing them at higher risk of getting infected and dying from the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2. While there are myriad unique lived experiences among racial and ethnic minority groups, they often share common barriers due to social determinants of health and the challenges they produce. As more data is collected, trends of increased infection and mortality rates in non-White groups become more apparent. Mortality rates themselves are affected by the social determinants of health that lead to higher prevalence of diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in some of these same groups. Lower health care coverage in these groups perpetuate health inequities and morality rates. To build a more just and equitable society, barriers must be identified and removed through public health, policy, and community organization so that all groups have equal access to positive health outcomes.