The coronavirus is rapidly spreading across the United States and has infected more than 1,000 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided guidance on the virus which includes proper hygiene protocols, staying away from large crowds, quarantining yourself if you’re sick, and to work from home. While this is helpful information and is intended to reduce the spread of the virus, it not only impacts the economy but also low-income people and those who don’t have the ability to quarantine themselves or work from home.
Currently, the United States House of Representatives is working to pass legislation that is intended to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus. This piece of legislation includes expanding assistance such as paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, and food assistance for low-income people.
It’s hard to imagine how this will impact people and their communities, particularly those that are unable to work from home or those that do become infected and need to be quarantined. In thinking about some of the assistance that legislatures are putting forward, what are your thoughts around these additional measures? Do you think they will work? What might be missing? How is this pandemic impacting your community, and impacting you?
Read more on how the coronavirus may disproportionately impact the poor >>
Interested in learning more about social determinants and health and the coronavirus? Join The Coronavirus: An Unfolding Case Study on the Need for a Public Health SDOH Agenda webinar on Friday, March 13 at noon ET.
Replies
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's webinar and an opportunity to talk about the virus including its short term impact, but importantly what it can teach us about preparedness and also how to protect the most vulnerable people in our society...
I agree! One thing I've seen in my community is that folks who are less at-risk for developing serious complications are offering to get groceries or run errands for those in high-risk categories. It's just one way I've seen the community come together. That, and many are actively practicing social distancing.
Being prepared is important for every community. Are there certain things you're concerned about in your community?
A close-to-home response from today. I was looking forward to my hair cutting appointment today (even though I have little hair to cut). I like driving into my little town during the day - just to leave my office, see people and be in the world a bit. Its different for me because I have been working out of my home office since fax machines were the state-of-the-art communications tools - so any excuse to get out is good. Anyway, I asked Theresa - my haircutter, whether she was concerned about having to interact with so many people - surprisingly she said she wasn't, yet. However she was indded surprised because so many customers have been coming in totally crazed by the virus.
As she described some of her encounters, I felt deeply worried about all the stressors that must be accumulating in people. I wondered how people and communities are going to handle all the emotional, psychic, physical distruption, stress and pain, especially since we are living in such a turbulent political time and the nation is so divided. Do we have enough compassion and resources to weather this pandemic? How can we help each other stay well, save and/or heal? And what about people who have few resources? What about them?
All big questions. Not sure of the answers but we have an opportunity to learn and talk more about it on today's webinar. So what can we and the NIC do collectively to respond to these challenges? Come join the the conversation - its' the first of a series about how we can shape a national policy discussion for SDOH.