My dad and I on the front lines in Indiana and North Carolina.
Regardless of where you live, the inequities of our society during Covid are glaringly clear.The only Covid+ patients I (and my colleagues) have taken care of since March are Black and Hispanic. Their stories are all similar.
They cannot social distance - they have been the essential workers that don’t have the luxury or protections to stay at home.
In North Carolina, our population is 10% LatinX, but our most recent data reveals LatinX patients are 46% of our state’s Covid diagnoses. Y’all. THIS IS SYSTEMIC RACISM.
My dad’s Covid patients have all been incarcerated.
Something tells me this is exactly why our country is “ready to open” and it makes me furious.
When Covid was starting to impact the US, I read the following quote by @anandwrites that explains it perfectly:
“Coronavirus makes clear what has been true all along. Your health is as safe as the worst-insured, worst-cared-for person in your society. It will be determined by the height of the floor, not the ceiling.”
This isn’t going to get better for anyone until Americans begin to care more about public health than individual inconvenience.
Think about that when you judge someone for wearing a mask or someone who is continuing to social distance despite restaurants, bars, and beaches being open.
Every day I pray for the safety of my family, coworkers, friends, and our forgotten patients who continue to have their families devastated.
This is NOT a game.
This is NOT a hoax.
Please stay home.
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