African Americans in Delaware County and the entire Philadelphia area do not have same levels of access to health care and related services as white residents and the consequences are clearly visible in coronavirus infection rates, writes Kasra Zarei for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Delaware County, the number of cases per 10,000 residents for African Americans is 131, while for white residents this number is 53. T
This puts Delaware County at the very top for the region in the rate discrepancy.
The situation has been facilitated by a number of reasons that are best described as systemic racism – including unequal access to opportunities for even some essential needs, including quality education, affordable and healthy foods, and the living wage.
Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing this public health crisis clearly and starkly nationwide.
“In the broadest sense, no matter what the disease – coronavirus, hunger, or chronic diseases – the same people are always at risk: people who have been systematically oppressed because of their race or other aspects of their identity,” said Shreya Kangovi, founding executive director of the Penn Center for Community Health Workers.
Read more about the differing infection rates at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.
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