The pandemic's disproportionate impact on people of color

Last week, Professor Lisa Ikemoto, a renowned expert in health law and bioethics, spoke at a COVID-19 town hall held on Zoom by the College of Biological Sciences. She talked about the racially disparate impacts of the global pandemic.

Although anyone can contract the virus, African American and Latinx people have been more likely to die from it, underscoring how impacts from the same disease can differ depending on race.

Professor Ikemoto offered evidence that access to health care varies by race, gender and socioeconomic status in the United States, and explained how the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects people of color. Such disparities are  troubling in a nation committed to social justice.

Students were fortunate to be able to hear Professor Ikemoto’s insightful analysis, which also addressed how racism and xenophobia have influenced the discussion of the pandemic. I learned an incredible amount from Professor Ikemoto during this town hall.