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Economic, social, and political inequality affect everything — including how we handle the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19: who gets it, how they are treated, the chances for recovery, job security, etc. Our Sojourners team looked at that question this week: How is our deep and shameful inequality in America at play as the threat of the new coronavirus rises? Here is what we found.
As always, those who are in poverty, those suffering from illness, immigrants, and/or refugees are the most likely to be severely impacted. These are, obviously, all groups of people Jesus calls on us to protect in Matthew 25 — always a core Gospel text for us that clearly relates to this growing health threat.
First, the fact that enormous inequities persist in our health care system works to the detriment of efforts to contain and treat the coronavirus in the United States. Can anyone seriously doubt there will be people who contract the coronavirus and pass it on to others because they are afraid of medical bills they cannot afford to pay?
Second, “self-quarantining” — staying home from work if you are not feeling well — is much less feasible if you could lose your job for it. How many minimum wage workers and those in the service sector will go to work despite being sick because they don’t get any paid sick leave?
Third, since our nation’s appalling economic inequity means much of the burden of any outbreak falls disproportionately on the working poor, what will working class families with children do if schools close and they are without affordable child care? What happens to their jobs?
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