Disentangling the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Health Disparities in African Americans: Biological, Environmental, and Social Factors
Geetanjali Saini, Monica H. Swahn, Ritu Aneja
Abstract
The stark racial disparities related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States, wherein minority populations are disproportionately getting infected and succumbing to the disease, is of grave concern. It is critical to understand and address the underlying causes of these disparities that are complex and driven by interacting environmental, social and biological factors. In this article we focus on the African American community and examine how social and environmental determinants of health intersect with biological factors (comorbidities, underlying genetics, host immunity, vitamin D levels, epigenetics) to exacerbate risk for morbidity and mortality.
Topics & Concepts
PandemicDiseaseMedicineHealth equityCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Social determinants of healthCoronavirusEnvironmental healthGerontologyPublic healthInfectious disease (medical specialty)NursingPathologyFood Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsObesity and Health PracticesHealth disparities and outcomes