overwhelming evidence:

despite black Americans taking #COVID19 more seriously than white Americans, they are dying at higher rates--

all while suffering the daily insult of being blamed for the disparity https://twitter.com/DrIbram/status/1250058289427222529

always more to learn about how deadly racism in medicine and society is manifesting in this moment

appreciating those looking at my profession with fresh eyes ( @lashnolen) and wise eyes ( @doccrearperry @uche_blackstock @mclemoremr)

in trying to apply @DrIbram anti-racist framework to our work, both on the front lines, and in supporting health systems re-calibrate and re-build, we're facing a number of specific challenges born of the unique nature of #COVID19

All viruses exploit our behavior in order to spread

#COVID19 preys on our instinctive need to be with each other during times of suffering. That desire is what makes it deadly...

And why all the existing social inequities in our society have been placed in a pressure cooker

#COVID19 spreads silently and invisibly within people and across people, geometrically multiplying with an imperceptible slowness, while building in strength

Without testing capability, adequate infection control or treatment, the only resort has been called "social distancing"

Every week I answer calls from scared people with COVID symptoms. To conserve PPE + tests, we tell most to stay home

But majority of those asked to self-isolate right now are became infected because they were least able to safely isolate in the first place

We're currently prioritizing people for testing and treatment based on biological criteria

We are completely failing to take into account social criteria

For every reason, the most vulnerable should be at the front of the line

Question is how to operationalize this quickly + safely within our messy system in a trauma-informed, non-stigmatizing way...

against a backdrop of justified mistrust between communities and systems that put them in a position of vulnerability by repeatedly failing them

Chelsea, one of the hardest hit communities in Boston at ~4x infection rate of state, large Latino immigrant community living in multi-generational homes

People in Chelsea should be prioritized for testing regardless of biological severity https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/04/20/us/ap-us-virus-outbreak-surging-massachusetts.html