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We’re seeing dramatic differences in rates of COVID infection, illness, and death in different places. What do you think about these differences?

The social disparities that exist in our country are showing up in differential rates of infection, illness and death. I am currently reading the book CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson and her discussion of differential life experiences based on race support the notion that many of the differential experiences related to COVID can be explained by the caste system based on race that exists in the US. : It explains much about which groups have access to good health care and which do not. If you do not have access to good health care, you tend to be sicker to begin with (i.,e. more likely to have high blood pressure, be overweight, have diabetes, etc) and so are more vulnerable to diseases like COVID. I read just yesterday, that one of the biggest differential health markers is the availability and affordability of dental care. This is a category of health care that is not part of our health safety net. Yet, an unhealthy mouth can definitely make you sick, not only in your mouth, but affecting the rest of the body. Disparities in oral health can be broken down by race. Black adults have 2 to 3 times the rate of untreated cavities as older white adults. Back to COVID: Race is a risk marker for COVID. It has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID. I have read about "social determinants of health" which include the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play and worship. They affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. One example: there are some jobs that cannot be done from home. If your work requires you to go out, mingle with other people, your chances of getting COViD increase. Many low paying jobs, typically held by minority workers, are "out and about" jobs - jobs that people cannot afford to give up. And so they take the risk and many catch the disease.