Over the last 100 years, we have made incredible advances in healthcare, advances that would miraculously be seen by any previous pay generation. To pick an example, in 1950 the U.S. Had a lifespan of 68.2 years. Then we add 10 years to that average. Social programs have helped young and old, two of the most vulnerable to health vulnerabilities, unprecedented levels of population and care. And telemedicine has been dispensed from expanding access to care, care, and access to care from many American health care and brick-and-mortar hospitals.
Yet, despite these advances and the ease with which other OECD nations are advancing for health care, the United States maintains vast health inequalities. James Madara, CEO and Executive Vice President of the American Medical Association, wrote on the organization’s site: “The U.S. health system today is a hodgepodge of ideas, programs, and regulations that are both extraordinarily expensive and highly inefficient. and technological developments, our health system favors some groups who are plagued with differences and inequities when it delivers very unjustly hurt others. “
Our current situation has developed, it has to be on Nick sociology tekta the forces that move the health care landscape and fractures. For those at the peak, their access to the highest care, education, resources and social networks serve to protect their health. For people in the valley, keeping in mind the past and continues to land the current crisis – for example, Mental Health Systems Act decay disproportionate results.
Then came Covid-19.
COVID-19 U.S. Health exacerbates heterogeneity
Communities with a vulnerability to health inequality in America have their distinctive history, environment, and social structure. They are spread across the United States, but they all have one thing in common.
“There’s a general divide in American communities, and that’s poverty,” said Debbie Salas-Lopez, president of MBH, MDH, MD Debbie, president of Saul-V, Northwell Health, and Debbie Salas-Lopez “It is the forerunner that manifests itself in poor health, poor health outcomes or poor health for future well-being.”
Social decision makers have far-reaching effects on health, and poor communities have unfavorable social decisions. To select one of many examples, food insecurity reduces the quality of food reduces ksesane, which due to poor health and chronic medical conditions communal endemism. U.S. Department of Disease Control and Prevention These centers has increased in some cases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes have been identified as at risk of developing a serious case of coronavirus.
The epidemic did not cause poverty or food insecurity, but it exacerbated both, and the results have been catastrophic. In a study published this summer Journal of General Internal Medicine Suggested that “social factors such as income inequality may explain why some parts of the USA are hit harder by the COVID-19 epidemic than others.”
To say that the U.S. Did not hurt better families. A paper from the Center for Economic Policy Research notes that upper-middle-income families experience adjustment costs associated with epidemics, for example, a reduction in income-to-income interactions when linked to social distance policies. However, the paper found that the cost of social distance is too high for poor families, who cannot easily change their living conditions, including more people living in one building and reliance on mass transport to get to work and the grocery store. Retail, transportation and health care jobs must maintain a physical distance from where they are disproportionately represented in all may be impossible.
The paper also cites a positive correlation between high income inequality and high rates of coronavirus infection. “Our interpretation is that poor people are less able to defend themselves, which leads them to different choices – they face higher trade in terms of the threats posed by covid-osed between their health and their economic well-being.” Wrote.
“There are so many epidemics that this epidemic has escalated,” Dr. Salas-Lopez noted.
An example is the health-wealth gap. The mental stress of maintaining low socio-economic status, especially coping with extreme prosperity, can have a physically degrading effect on health. Writing at this distance, Robert Sapolsky, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, notes that socioeconomic stress can increase blood pressure, reduce insulin responses, increase acute inflammation, and reduce anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity. May make other functions defective. Load.
“Thus, from the macro level of whole body systems to the micro level of individual chromosomes, poverty finds a way to produce wear and tear,” writes Spoles ski. “It aparadhajanaka that if children are born into the wrong family, they draw attention to the poor health until they start to learn the alphabet.”
Research on the economic and mental health collapse of COVID-19 is showing two things: that unemployment is less disease-ridden and hits young Americans during most epidemics, widening the potential health-wealth gap; And the epidemic is not only increasing mental health stress, but also doing it at a medically relevant level. As the authors of one review wrote, the effects of epidemics on mental health are an international public health priority.
We need to find ways to unite this country because we are all human beings. We are all created equal, and we believe that health is one of the most important rights.
Working to close the health gap
Northwell Health Coronavirus Testing Center at Greater Springfield Community Church.
Credit: Northwell Health
Novel coronaviruses can spread and become infected indiscriminately, but pre-existing conditions, environmental stress and lack of care and resources increase the risk of infection. This social determinant makes epidemics more dangerous, and weakens the capabilities of communities and families that are cured by a health crisis that is pre-existing. How can we overcome this division? D Sala. Salas-Lopez says the first step is recognition. “We have to open our eyes to see the suffering around us,” he said. “Northwell isn’t tired of it.” “We are committed to improving health outcomes for our vulnerable and irrelevant communities, suffering from long-term disease prevalence, a problem that led to disproportionately high mortality rates among African-Americans and Latinos during the Covid-19 epidemic,” Dowling said. “We are committed to using every tool at our disposal – health care, employer, buyer and investor – to address an inequality and ensure the equity of each eligible care.” Recognizing the need, Dr. Sala. Salas-Lopez urges healthcare systems to travel upwards and remain active in those severely affected communities. This requires health care systems to play a strong role, but not unilaterally. They should form partnerships with the leaders of those communities and use them to ensure relationships beyond the current crisis. “We need to meet with community leaders and talk to them to get a vision of what the community needs and what it should be for the future. Together, we can co-create a plan to improve the criteria. [community] Be prepared for health and whatever comes after that. The health system also taught about coronavirus and precautions to prevent its spread. The initiative began the process of vaccinating – believing that Northwell is preparing experts to carry flu vaccines in these communities in preparation for what could be a difficult flu. Season. As White Northway begins to build bridges across sections of the New York area, much remains to be done to integrate U.S. health care. Hopefully the COV epidemic will make us aware of the deep inequality in the US. “COVID has changed our world. We have to seize this opportunity, this epidemic, this crisis to make it better,” said Dr. Salas-Lopez. “To provide better care.” Provide good health. Be better partners. Be better citizens of the community. And treat each other with respect and dignity. “We are all human beings that we as a country need to find a way out. We were all equal, and we believe that health is an important authority.”
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