—
The COVID-19 crisis is the worst pandemic to surface in a century. Our resilience as individuals is not the only thing being put to the test. People are also demonstrating their willingness or unwillingness to make hard sacrifices on behalf of others. A growing number of states are reopening their economies, as data suggests the curve has been flattened. Unfortunately, some people are tempted to think that this means the pandemic has passed. We are still in the early months of a long crisis, which means that sensible social distancing remains essential.
You might feel overwhelmed with the problems the pandemic has created. However, you need to remind yourself about the growing threat it poses. If you are too disheartened to make the sacrifices for yourself, then you should at least continue social distancing for more vulnerable people. These practices can include wearing masks, using social distancing stickers in your business and avoiding major hotspots.
The coronavirus impact is not felt equally across society
COVID-19 is not an equal opportunity virus. A number of factors affect an individual’s likelihood of contracting the disease, as well as their mortality rates if they do get it. Some of the factors to be aware of are listed below:
- After pre-existing medical conditions, age is the biggest risk factor for COVID-19. CDC data from May 28 shows that 26,843 COVID-19 deaths were people over the age of 85. Another 21,822 deaths were people between the ages of 75 and 84. This data indicates that 59.8% of the population that died from COVID-19 was over the age of 75. This figure is particularly shocking since this age group represents less than 4% of the population.
- Gender is another risk factor for COVID-19. Men are more likely to suffer from severe complications of the illness. One study from New York found that a little over 66% of COVID-19 patients that ended up in ICUs were men.
- Racial identity is another significant risk factor for COVID-19. Minorities, especially black citizens are more likely to develop severe complications. Initially, experts believed this was due to a correlation between minorities and poverty. However, more recent data suggests that is not the whole story. COVID-19 mortality rates are also elevated in affluent minority communities, which suggests there is a genetic risk factor for minorities.
- Socioeconomic background. Poor Americans are also more susceptible to COVID-19. This is likely because poverty is correlated with other risk factors, such as pre-existing conditions and a likelihood to work in jobs that don’t afford many opportunities to social distance.
- Some occupations are more prone to suffer from COVID-19. Jobs that require high levels of social interaction are the riskiest. These include grocery store workers, DMV attendants and public transportation operators. Healthcare professionals and nursing home workers are also highly likely to get the disease. People that work in careers that cause lung complications might not be more likely to contract the disease but will probably have more severe symptoms. This includes people that work with toxic chemicals regularly and sheetrock contractors.
- Pre-existing conditions. Many pre-existing health conditions can contribute to the severity of COVID-19. Diabetes and heart disease or two of the biggest risk factors.
Everybody needs to do their part to look out for people that are at most risk. They will need to keep this in mind as more communities reopen their economies and the likelihood of new infections rises.
How should you protect vulnerable people with social distancing as economies reopen?
Every state has begun reopening their economies to some degree. Some states, such as Georgia, pulled back on social distancing around a month ago. Although there have not been major spikes in coronavirus cases yet, most regions will likely experience a shock at some point.
As economies reopen, it is important not to get too complacent. The last thing that you want to do is be careless and end up infecting an older parent or a family member with a vulnerable health condition.
Sadly, some individuals have not made the best decisions as social distancing orders have been lifted. A tavern in Texas recently made the news for banning its customers from wearing masks. People making similar decisions are showing that they either don’t recognize the risks they are creating for other people in their lives or simply don’t care.
You need to do your part by continuing sensible social distancing practices. If you live with a spouse or parents with risk factors, then you should be more proactive than others.
Remind yourself that the pandemic will eventually come to an end. However, you have a duty to protect others in your life as it continues to rage on.
—
This content is sponsored by Ryan Kh.
Photo: Shutterstock