Auxo Medical News

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month nearing the end of its annual October campaign, and continued hope for a cure remains thanks to developing technologies and ongoing research, it is equally important to provide mental health support as women fight this disease. 

Many hospitals and clinics around the United States offer group and individual counseling. One in particular is the Breast Cancer Support Group at Augusta Health in Virginia. The organization’s breast cancer advocates give credit to this group for preserving their patients’ mental health while on their own cancer crusades. 

The support group was created nearly six years ago at the health system once the need for a dedicated support infrastructure solely for breast cancer patients was identified. 

A breast nurse navigator at August Health, Donna Berdeaux, shared during a discussion with news station WHSV, “We have women that are stage one, women that are stage four. They are able to sit down and talk about their diagnosis but we try to bring a lot of thankfulness, gratefulness, we just don’t focus on the diagnosis.” 

Patients are usually put in touch with Berdeaux once they’ve received a breast cancer diagnosis. Every week, the group of patients and survivors meet — their time together includes supportive conversation and the opportunity to share their experiences among each other. However, they don’t strictly talk about their diagnosis, they also focus on gratitude. 

Berdeaux explained, “Being able to come to a group and speak with other breast patients that are going through or have gone through. Everyone’s journey is different but they realize that they are experiencing the same thing other people are experiencing, so they actually do better.” 

Three women who have either previously battled or are currently battling a breast cancer diagnosis, Suzanne Vanvalkenburg, Patty Piccinino and Carol Cobb, give credit to the support group for being a safe environment and allowing them to be vulnerable about their worries and fears. They say that the circle of women learn from and draw strength from each other. 

Cobb shared, “Don’t have to be brave and strong like you do for your family. You just feel so welcomed and loved.” 

There has been a mental health crisis explosion during the pandemic, so people facing a life-changing diagnosis on top of developing COVID-19 virus fatigue, are certainly in need of emotional and mental care. 

Vanvalkenburg added, “I ended up with mouth sores after my first chemo, which was awful. Somebody in the Breast Cancer Support Group was able to say ‘hey chew ice while you get your chemo, it will slow it down and I bet you you won’t get mouth sores again’ and I never got mouth sores again for the rest of my chemo treatment. I was very thankful for that.” 

Piccinino commented, “You are with a group of women who understand that. People can be sympathetic and can be helpful but no one can completely understand what that feels like.” 

In addition to finding support within the actual meetings, members oftentimes create friendships outside of the group — even throughout the coronavirus pandemic. You may find them chatting virtually, or taking a walk in the park together. 

Cobb continued, “We have been to Williamsburg and we have done line dancing. We have made Christmas cards and have had Christmas parties at a nursing home.” 

Recently members of the group hand-painted messages of hope onto rocks. They are committed to contributing support among the community as well as generate breast cancer education and awareness. 

“You are not alone, there are people in your community that are here to support you and understand what you are going through,” Vanvalkenburg mentioned. 

The ladies encourage anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis to reach out to your local clinician’s office and ask to be put in touch with in-person or virtual support groups. 

Piccinino concluded, “You are stronger than you think you are because initially it feels so overwhelming and it is really difficult. You will be surprised at how strong you really are.”

On the heels of Breast Cancer Awareness month, it is certainly timely to hear of a new breast cancer vaccine trial that is underway. 

Statistics indicate that approximately 1 in 8 women will receive an invasive breast cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Of those women, some will battle the most deadly form of this disease — triple-negative breast cancer. The treatments for this type of cancer currently have the least effective options. 

For that reason, experts at the Cleveland Clinic are focused on improving outcomes for women facing this particularly aggressive disease. A phase 1 clinical trial has begun with a goal of developing an effective vaccine that will help with prevention. Albeit they anticipate it could take decades for the vaccine to get developed, approved, and launched into market, researchers are hopeful their efforts will materialize. 

This study is comprised of women who have recently completed treatment for early-stage triple negative breast cancer. Part of the participation criteria includes that they are not nursing and will also not become pregnant. Lastly, those involved in the study have no signs of disease, but are still considered high risk for the cancer to return. 

The small group of people in the trial,18-24 participants, will be given assorted doses of the vaccine; this strategy will help researchers understand any side effects, and determine if it produces the expected immunologic response. The women will receive a total of three vaccine shots and each dose will be administered two weeks apart. 

Dr. G. Thomas Budd, an oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, is the principal investigator of the study. Budd said, “What we hope to do is, first, show that we can mount an immune response against one protein that is expressed in the majority of triple-negative breast cancer.” 

He continued, “And if we can, we might be able to vaccinate patients or people who are at risk to develop breast cancer, and then prevent them from getting it in the first place — that’s the long-term goal.” 

The study’s phase 1 goal is to identify which dose should be implemented in future studies. 

“The ultimate goal, ultimately, not of this trial, but future trials, would be to be able to prevent breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer in those who are at very high risk for it,” Budd explained. “So, initially this would be people with family histories and genetic mutations known to predispose them to triple-negative breast cancer.” 

The Cleveland Clinic’s vaccine targets alpha-lactalbumin, a protein, which is typically produced in lactating breasts. According to experts, there isn’t another time when (normal) human cells create that protein, with the exception of nearly 70% of triple-negative breast cancers. 

Budd wants to be very clear about this study’s timeline expectations. “I think the main thing I do want to just emphasize is this is very, very early in development. It will take really decades to prove what we need to prove because it takes years to develop breast cancer.” 

Vincent Tuohy, the vaccine’s primary inventor and a staff immunologist at Lerner Research Institute said in a press release, “This vaccine approach represents a potential new way to control breast cancer.” Tuohy went onto say, “The long-term objective of this research is to determine if this vaccine can prevent breast cancer before it occurs, particularly the more aggressive forms of this disease that predominate in high-risk women.” 

Triple-negative breast cancer comprises between 10%-15% of women with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Of that population, Black women, women with the BRCA1 mutation, and women under 40-years-old are the most susceptible. 

Please be sure to visit our Auxo Medical blog for timely, relevant healthcare content.

While COVID-19 booster shots are dominating news headlines at the moment, results of a noteworthy U.S. study by the Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network (HAIVEN), was recently published in Clinical Infection Diseases. 

Flu Shot Timing 

Examining the timing of receiving the influenza vaccine, comparative to flu-associated hospitalizations across more than 5,500 adult study participants, this newly discovered data is congruent with other findings in past and recent studies. 

The takeaway? A one or even a two month lag in getting an annual influenza vaccine has the ability to improve protection effectiveness by anywhere from 10% to 20%. 

Clinicians concur that the medical community should keep following the vaccination recommendations of receiving the flu shot by late October. Epidemiologist and influenza expert at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Jill Ferdinands, suggests that postponing the vaccine by a couple of months warrants consideration, “if [it] doesn’t encroach on the annual influenza season, delay vaccine delivery, or reduce vaccine uptake.” 

Avoiding a Twindemic 

Another recent study suggests that receiving a flu shot could provide some protection against extreme effects of the coronavirus. 

If you get infected with the COVID-19 virus, and you’ve previously received a flu shot within the same season, then according to the study you are not likely to endure severe infection, suffer a stroke, be burdened by blood clots, or need to be treated at an intensive care unit. 

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Dr. Devinder Singh shared, “the global population may benefit from influenza vaccination, as it can dually act to prevent a coronavirus and influenza ‘twindemic,’ which could potentially overwhelm health care resources.” 

Experts are not completely sure why the flu shot may offer protection from some of the more dire COVID-19 symptoms. However, one hypothesis is that it equips the immune system to lower the chances of body-wide distress that is commonly detected with the flu.

Top Influenza Vaccine Myths 

Despite the fact that flu vaccinations successfully prevented approximately 7.5 million illnesses from 2019 to 2020 — not to mention avoiding hospitalizations and deaths — still myths run rampant when it comes to the influenza vaccine. 

One common myth that circulates every year is that someone can actually contract the flu by getting the flu shot. The truth is that the vaccine does not have an active virus, therefore you cannot “get” the flu. 

While many experience no side effects, it’s true that some folks do experience mild side effects that could be confused for flu-like symptoms. The most typical indications range from minor swelling or soreness at the injection site, a low grade fever, or a subtle headache. With that said, a few days of light discomfort is a small price to pay when experiencing the worst that a flu virus can bring, such as extraordinary fatigue, high grade fevers, and body aches for several days. 

Another typical folklore is that among people who historically don’t get the flu, they don’t need to bother getting the vaccine. The truth is that a clean bill of health in your past does not promise a future without a flu. Because strains transform year after year, season after season, we are all at risk to come down with the flu, particularly without receiving the vaccine. And much like we hear the message when it comes to spreading COVID-19, the same is true for influenza — when you don’t get the vaccine but you do catch the virus — you are a carrier and can infect others. 

For more information on the flu, vaccines, and other relevant healthcare content, be sure to check out the Auxo Medical blog archives.

September is here — this time of year delivers a change of seasons and weather, as well as children going back to school.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still ever-present, health and safety recommendations across the United States continue to evolve.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have compiled recommendations to help keep children healthy during the pandemic while returning school:

• Anyone who is 12 years and older should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• School staff and students alike, over the age of two-years-old, should be cognizantof wearing protective face masks while indoors. This recommendation applies topeople who aren’t vaccinated, and those who are.
• Schools are encouraged to practice “layered” measures, such as improving ventilation, persistent hand-washing, physically staying at least three feet apart from peopleas much as possible, and not coming to school when someone isn’t feeling well.
• When employees and students come across exposures while in school, COVID-19 policies should be in place and diligently enforced, including contact tracing and quarantining as soon as possible.

These recommendations were driven by a variety of factors:

• Before vaccines were available, a significant amount of scientific data concluded that whenever a school used layered measures, the transmission rates were quite low.
• Many schools are not prepared to keep tabs on the vaccine status for students and staff.
• There are staff and students (over the age of 12) who are not yet partially or fully vaccinated.
• At this point in time, students under the age of 12 are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; layered approaches help protect this group of people, including those who are deemed immunocompromised.

The Evolution of Vaccine Recommendations

There was a time when the CDC claimed that fully vaccinated school staff and students did not need to wear a protective face mask. However, because the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has been causing ‘breakthrough’ infections, the agency changed their recommendations again.

Although prevailing data maintains that COVID-19 vaccines are still extremely effective at preventing serious illness, being admitted to the hospital, or even preventing death, people who are vaccinated and contract the virus, are still able to infect others. Therefore, it is highly recommended that these people continue to wear masks in public and social settings.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recently shared that he anticipates the FDA and the CDC will establish a “strong benefit-risk ratio” for children with regards to approving them for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Fauci said during an interview on the cable network, CNN, “When that gets established, which I believe it certainly will, I believe that mandating vaccines for children to appear in school is a good idea.”

He continued, “We’ve done this for decades and decades, requiring polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis. So, this would not be something new — requiring vaccinations for children to come to school.”

Routine Healthcare Screenings

Delaying or outright avoiding routine healthcare screenings has been a common occurrence among adults throughout the 2020 pandemic and into 2021. This theme of avoiding the doctor’s office has also impacted children.

In the spring of 2021, it was reported by the Children’s Defense Fund that as many as 80% of children had missed their routine “well visit” appointments because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pediatrician and professor, Dr. Carlos Lerner, said, “While visits have significantly increased since the spring shutdown, well-child visits are still lower than pre-pandemic levels.”

Understandably it can be confusing for caretakers to make these tough decisions during such unprecedented times, but missing preventative visits at the child’s pediatrician’s office could lead to negative health consequences in the future.

In our next blog post, we’ll discuss all things flu vaccine — debunking myths, addressing the optimal time for getting a flu vaccine, and share how it could even ward off severe symptoms of COVID-19.

While the public has been inundated with COVID-19 virus information, last month health officials in the U.S. faced yet another virus scare — a potential monkeypox outbreak. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked that over 200 people across 27 states be monitored for exposure since they were in contact with a resident of Dallas, Texas who contracted monkeypox. This was the first confirmed case ever reported in a human for the state of Texas. 

The patient had traveled to Nigeria and returned by way of a flight through Atlanta and then onto Dallas. This person, whose identity was not released, was put into isolation at a hospital in Dallas four days after arriving home; his condition was considered stable. Initially health officials deemed the risk for the general population as very low. 

Together with the airline, health officials worked to pinpoint people who could have been in close proximity with the passenger during these flights. Because travelers are re-quired to wear face masks on planes and inside airports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of possible contacts was anticipated to be on the low end. 

Those who were identified would go onto be monitored for 21 days. The protocol is for health officials to call each contact twice a day to see if any symptoms evolved. 

At the conclusion of the monitoring on July 30, according to the CDC, thankfully no new monkeypox cases were identified among the people who were possibly exposed. The agency continued to monitor other individuals who were considered ‘very low risk.’ 

What are Symptoms of Monkeypox? 

Initial signs of monkeypox include symptoms that resemble having the flu, including headache, fever, achy muscles, fatigue, and inflamed lymph nodes. Next, patients will typically produce a rash; it is common to start on the face, and then spread throughout the rest of the body. Sickness usually spans anywhere from two weeks to four weeks. 

As with many diseases, monkeypox tends to be a larger threat to those with immuno-compromised health. Although as much as 10% of monkeypox in humans end in fatal results, this U.S. case is thought to be less dangerous with a 1% fatality rate. 

How is the Monkeypox Virus Transmitted? 

It is believed that humans pass on the virus by way of large respiratory droplets, discharged by people who have contracted the disease. It can also be transferred by hav-ing direct contact with bodily fluids. If you are asymptomatic, you cannot pass on the vi-rus. 

Where did Monkeypox Come From? 

The monkeypox virus was first identified during laboratory research in 1958 among monkeys. The first case in humans was identified in Congo. The majority of human cases since then took place in central and western Africa. In 2017, a monkeypox uptick took place in Nigeria. 

Rodents and prairie dogs imported from Africa in 2003, led to an outbreak in the United States. No patients died, but 47 human cases were recorded. 

What is the Treatment for Monkeypox? 

According to the CDC, there is no effective, safe treatment for this virus. However, the smallpox vaccine may be used in order to restrain an outbreak. 

Visit Auxo Medical’s blog for timely information regarding pandemic related content, as well as other relevant news taking place in healthcare.

It is no easy task to keep up with the ongoing changes, mandates, and data with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in May 2021 that fully vaccinated individuals could leave their face masks at home in the majority of circumstances. 

However, the Delta variant’s warpath sabotaged plans for a glimpse of normalcy. Millions of Americans have still not received the vaccine. For those reasons, the advice regarding masks was reversed in July 2021. The organization is imploring people to put masks on when they’re visiting indoor public environments; this safety protocol includes the immunized population. The advice is particularly important for areas with “substantial or high transmission” rates. What does that mean? “Substantial” equates to more than 50 new cases per week, per 100,000 residents, or “high” equates to more than 100 new cases, per 100,000 residents. 

With approximately two-thirds of the country’s counties susceptible to the latest guidance, changes are expected elsewhere. 

One caveat is for people in school — whether or not they’ve been vaccinated, and no matter where they live — are urged to wear masks. Additionally, those who have been vaccinated but do not reside in high-transmission locations should still think about wearing a mask in public settings if they or someone in their household is considered high risk for critical illness. Some examples include the immunocompromised community, and children who are not yet permitted to receive the vaccination. 

What Does Break-Through Infections & Viral Load Mean

When someone has been fully vaccinated, and they become infected with COVID-19, they transmit small amounts of the virus. Break-through infections were first thought to be a rare occurrence, but as time passes, the Delta variant is proving to challenge statistics. However, it is well known that the vaccines will not fully protect individuals in avoiding the virus. Their primary responsibility is to avoid being admitted to the hospital and battling severe illness. 

An infectious disease expert, William Schaffner, M.D., explained this thought process, “The vast majority of break-through cases are really minor. People are getting what feels like a bad cold or are just having a day in bed.” 

Viral loads are deemed a realistic representation for someone’s capability to transmit the virus. According to the Director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and taking into consideration data procured over the last several months — viral loads in some vaccinated individuals who are asymptomatic with the Delta variant are very similar to people infected with the virus, but have not been vaccinated. 

What is the Status for FDA to Approve Vaccines? 

One argument by those who will not voluntarily receive the vaccine is that the substance has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Until now, the vaccines have been considered for “emergency use authorization,” which was granted last December. 

However, at the time of this blog post being published, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was formally approved. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full FDA approval. The formal approval could propel employers, universities, military, and other organizations to execute legal authority and make receiving the vaccine mandatory. It may also help reassure those who have been holding off on getting vaccinated. 

FDA Commissioner Janet Woodstock released a statement about the approval, ”While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.” 

Stay tuned for our upcoming Auxo Medical blog post about Monkeypox — what is it and why should you care.

COVID-19 is not the inaugural coronavirus that is responsible for generating disease among humans. SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, and related strains could produce mass outbreaks or future pandemics. Unfortunately, the existing approved vaccines that offer protection against SARS-CoV-2, do not necessarily provide defense against these strains.

A group of scientific researchers are on a mission to develop one vaccine that would cover a variety of viruses and have the capability to cause a pandemic. For starters, “they synthesized mRNAs that encoded ‘chimeric’ spike proteins made of spike particles from high risk human and bat coronaviruses; next, they packaged various combinations of these mRNAs into lipid nanoparticle droplets and injected them into aged mice.”

These researchers discovered that their vaccines used in mice, delivered protection from many coronavirus strains, such as the Beta variant. They accomplished this by prompting powerful, counterbalancing antibody responses.

All-inclusive vaccines against existing and incipient coronaviruses could be feasible by way of vaccine production technologies. Additional investigation is required to improve design efficiency, and to test their efficacy through clinical studies in non-human primates.

Preparing for a Future Pandemic

Eric Lander is the newly appointed White House science adviser. Lander is front and center as it relates to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and was recently interviewed by The Associated Press after being sworn into office. He made it clear that he would like a vaccine prepared to attack any upcoming pandemic in approximately 100 days once identifying a probable viral eruption.

In Lander’s interview, he articulated hope for a future in America that is armed and ready for any subsequent pandemics. According to the adviser, he says the United States will be prepared with “plug-and-play” vaccines. Scientists are cultivating “all purpose” technologies that are ready-to-go well before a pandemic strikes.

Here’s how it works. As opposed to using the actual germ to construct a vaccine, scientists use messenger RNA and then they incorporate the genetic code for that germ. This protocol is what transpired with both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, and could explain why they were created relatively quickly.

In addition to fighting diseases through medicine and healing sick patients, Lander ex-plained that this strategy also has the ability to positively impact climate change as well as examine space.

“This is a moment in so many ways, not just health, that we can rethink fundamental as-sumptions about what’s possible and that’s true of climate and energy and many areas,” Lander said.

His training background is a mathematician and geneticist. Lander was involved in a human genome mapping project and has directed the Broad Institute at MIT as well as Harvard. The new White House science adviser explained that he isn’t necessarily concentrating on the current pandemic, but rather the insights gathered from this outbreak in order to get ready for the next one.

“It was amazing at one level that we were able to produce highly effective vaccines in less than a year, but from another point of view you’d say, ‘Boy, a year’s a long time,’” even though in the past it would take three years or four years, Lander explained. “To really make a difference we want to get this done in 100 days. And so a lot of us have been talking about a 100-day target from the recognition from a virus with pandemic potential.”

Please visit our Auxo Medical blog current and past articles for all relevant and timely COVID-19 information.

Viruses continuously alter through mutations. Additionally, we anticipate that new variants of a virus will inevitably take place. Oftentimes, new variants will materialize, and then vanish. And in other circumstances, new variants will persevere.

Numerous variants of the COVID-19 virus have been recorded in the United States, as well as around the world during this pandemic.

Because viruses are perpetually transforming, they are simultaneously becoming more complex. Scientists deliberately research viruses in an effort to learn how virus mutations can impact the spread, and exactly how the virus transmits from person to person.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared a metaphor to help explain the process. “If you think about a virus like a tree growing and branching out; each branch on the tree is slightly different than the others. By comparing the branches, scientists can label them according to the differences. These small differences, or variants, have been studied and identified since the beginning of the pandemic.”

COVID-19 Variants across the United States

The CDC is monitoring a multitude of variants. At the time of this publication, there are four noteworthy variants across the country.

• Alpha – B.1.1.7: The Alpha variant was first detected in the United Kingdom.
• Beta – B.1.351: The Beta variant was initially discovered in South Africa.
• Gamma – P.1: The Gamma variant was first identified during a routine screening at a Japan airport among travelers from Brazil.
• Delta – B.1.617.2: The Delta variant was first identified in India. It is the most contagious mutation to date. Those who are not vaccinated may precipitate significant illness vs. other variants, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. These four variants appear to disseminate more effortlessly and rapidly than other variants. An uptick in the amount of COVID-19 cases would overextend healthcare resources, lead to more inpatient hospitalizations, and possibly more deaths.” The Delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19,” Fauci said during a recent White House briefing. He commented that the ratio of infections originating by the Delta variant is doubling every two weeks.

Vaccinations and Variants

To date, studies note that the prevailing authorized vaccines do protect against the four primary variants. Of course scientists will closely study these variants and future ones to come.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky advised that as the Delta variant spreads, the eminent probability of even more threatening mutations could develop.

“And that’s why it’s more important than ever to get vaccinated now to stop the chain of infection, the chain of mutations that could lead to a more dangerous variant,” Walensky said.

Protection from COVID-19

• Get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible and when available
• Cover your nose and mouth with a mask to protect others as well as yourselffrom the virus
• Practice social distancing by staying 6 feet apart from people who do not live withyou
• Steer clear of poorly ventilated indoor areas and large crowds
• Frequently use soap and water to wash your hands, as well as hand sanitizersIn our upcoming Auxo Medical article, we will take a look at a novel mRNA vaccine study in mice that could offer protection against a variety of COVID-19 mutations in a single formulation.

What does ‘healthcare disparities’ mean? 

There are many definitions of healthcare disparities. The Institute of Medicine peeled back the significance of health care disparities in a report: “Unequal Treatment: Con-fronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare.” According to this report, the most recognized definition of healthcare disparities is, “Differences in the quality of health care that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences or appropriateness of intervention.” 

There are populations who have systematically experienced barriers in their own healthcare due to their racial background, religious affiliations, gender / gender identity, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation — and that is just naming a few. 

Another definition of health disparities comes from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): “Preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.” 

Other terms that are often used interchangeably with healthcare disparities is ‘inequality’ and ‘inequity.’ 

Institutional racism is explained by the CDC as “…structures, policies, practices, and norms—that assigns value and determines opportunity—on the way people look or the color of their skin. This results in conditions that unfairly advantage some and disad-vantage others throughout society.” 

How has the coronavirus pandemic had an impact on healthcare disparities among people of color? 

Statistics indicate that there have been disproportionate rates of sickness and death from COVID-19 among the American Indian & Alaska Native (AIAN), Black, and Hispanic populations. 

Data has also found that AIAN, Black, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic people suffered premature deaths across the United States in 2020, as much as three times per 100,000, vs. White or Asian people. 

People of color experience higher rates of disease and death due to a number of rea-sons. This includes underlying health conditions, elevated barriers to testing and treat-ment because of current disparities in healthcare access, as well as higher exposure opportunities from living/working or transportation circumstances. 

Health management professor at U-M School of Public Health, Melissa Creary, Ph.D., explained her thoughts on the fact that Black Americans face higher rates of hyperten-sion, obesity and diabetes — and how this relates to COVID-19 outcomes: “I think pub-lic health practitioners would say it’s not the fact that they have these diseases that’s causing the higher death rate because people of all races, classes and creed have these diseases, it’s the fact that we see an undeniable burden of disease in the Black population. It’s this disproportionate amount that is worrisome. The underlying issue to why we see so many is actually attributed to structural inequity.” 

Which populations have directly experienced a disproportionate healthcare impact from the virus? 

During the pandemic, people of color, low-income, LGBT and other underserved groups have certainly been challenged with mental wellness and financial instability. A 2021 survey conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that approximately six in 10 Hispanic adults, and half of Black adults reported that their household lost employment / income because of the pandemic — whereas only four in 10 White adults reported the same hardship. 

There were more Black and Hispanic adults who noted that they lacked confidence in being equipped to afford their rent/mortgage payment/food, vs White adults. 

Black and Hispanic people are reportedly less likely to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, however, it’s important to look at why that may be. For example, there is a geographical gap among some communities to have access to vaccinations. And although the overall rates of receiving the coronavirus vaccine is rising, Black and Hispanic populations are still quite lower. This discrepancy exemplifies the enduring inequities among under-served groups and people of color, which have generated barriers to healthcare includ-ing higher risk for infection and lower abilities to reach immunity. 

How do we close the gap on healthcare inequities? 

Equity proponents believe that in order to decrease racial and ethnic healthcare dispari-ties, medical professionals have to specifically acknowledge that both race, and racism, play a key role in delivering healthcare. 

For more information on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the healthcare in-dustry, take a look at our Auxo Medical blog archive for relevant and timely articles.