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Critical race scholars have an essential role in COVID-19 science. Reading medical journals makes this clear. #RacismNotRace frame comes first, but this really takes lots of unpacking on our part. It's not self-explanatory. Reading medical journals makes this abundantly clear. 1/
First piece I read this morning: “higher observed incidence & severity in minority groups may be associated with socioeconomic, cultural, or lifestyle factors, genetic predisposition, or pathophysiological differences in susceptibility or response to infection.” 2/
Goes on to list factors like increased risk of respiratory tract infection, immune burden, insulin resis, & obesity as factors leading to increased susceptibility. Authors separated these physiological risks from SES exposures, as if the 2 were unrelated. 3/
See what this does? Literally & figuratively separates physiological risks from social exposures. Essentializes racial diffs in physiological risk that are generated from grp diffs in social exposures. Pathologizes bodies. 4/
And this is without even touching the diffs in “genetic predisposition” listed as a hypothesis. This piece was not the sole or worst offender. But this is what folks are reading. Race scholars have a role to play here. 5/
We need to make abundantly clear that our social worlds shape our bodies & physiology. That our biological systems are not static & immutable. That diffs in "physiological risk/susceptibility" stem directly from structures incl racism that pattern social exposures. 6/
We must use our #RacismNotRace frame to make this abundantly clear & explicit & not open for interpretation. Tell and show them why. We can't assume folks will get this on their own. 7/7
