History Repeating-How Pandemics Collide with Health Disparities in the United States

Grace McCarthy; Sarah Shore; Esra Ozdenerol; Altha Stewart; Arash Shaban-Nejad; David L Schwartz

doi:10.1007/s40615-022-01331-5

History Repeating-How Pandemics Collide with Health Disparities in the United States

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023 Jun;10(3):1455-1465. doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01331-5. Epub 2022 May 20.

Authors

Grace McCarthy¹, Sarah Shore¹, Esra Ozdenerol², Altha Stewart^{3

4}, Arash Shaban-Nejad^{5

6}, David L Schwartz^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, 875 Monroe Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
² Department of Earth Sciences, Spatial Analysis and Geographic Education Laboratory, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA.
⁴ Office of Community Health Engagement, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA.
⁵ University of Tennessee Health Science Center-OAK-Ridge National Laboratory Center for Biomedical Informatics, Memphis, TN, USA.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis , USA.
⁷ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, 875 Monroe Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA. dschwar4@uthsc.edu.
⁸ Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA. dschwar4@uthsc.edu.
⁹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. dschwar4@uthsc.edu.

Abstract

Across the United States, public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have fallen short. COVID-19 has exacerbated longstanding public health shortfalls in disadvantaged communities. Was this predestined? Understanding where we are today requires reflection on our longer journey. Disparities cataloged during COVID-19 reflect the same unequal host exposure and susceptibility risks that shaped previous pandemics. In this review, we provide historical context to better understand current events and to showcase forgotten lessons which may motivate future action to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

Keywords: COVID; Health disparities; Pandemic; Public health; United States.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Humans
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2
United States / epidemiology