The corona virus outbreak affected the whole world but data from research conducted indicates that people from different races were affected disproportionately. Research by institutions like DocSun have data that indicate people of color appeared to be a disadvantage as compared to their counterparts. A lot of factors were attributed to this mostly centered on the economic empowerment
Research has increasingly shown that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease. While there’s no evidence that people of color have genetic or other biological factors that make them more likely to be affected by COVID-19, they are more likely to have underlying health conditions. Having certain conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, increases your risk of severe illness with COVID-19. Where you live and who you live with can make it challenging to avoid getting sick with COVID-19 and get treatment. Living in crowded settings can make it difficult to separate when one is infected.
Figure 1docsun biomed illustration of different races
The type of work you do also may contribute to your risk of getting COVID-19. Many people of color have jobs that are considered essential or can’t be done remotely and involve interaction with the public they are inherently at a higher risk of being exposed to the covid-19 virus and they form part of the disproportionate racial and ethnic minority groups. The access to health care also affects your health risks. Members of racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to encounter barriers to getting healthcare, such as lack of insurance, transportation, childcare or ability to take time off to go for the covid tests or vaccination.
Racism may also play a role in health risks. The stress of dealing with racial discrimination can take a toll on your body, causing early aging. This has been linked to underlying conditions, which can increase the risk of severe illness with COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to promote the health and well-being of racial and ethnic minorities. Some healthcare initiatives that can be promoted to people of all races should primarily be affordable and safe. Devises like the scanning devises under DocSun biomed are very affordable. They can be easily accessed by people who are both technologically literate and those who are not. The mobile application only needs the user to scan their face as one does when taking a selfie. The devise will scan the user’s vital signs and give a report on whether the user is exhibiting covid like symptoms