I live in the part of AR that this week became #1 in Covid growth in the nation. Today they announced another 261 new cases. For weeks they have been separating out prison cases, then nursing home, then meat plants all disgusting & counterproductive. They don't exist in a vacuum.

But today just took a leap into the racist & harmful. They highlighted the cases that were for people with Spanish surnames . This is a very loud dog whistle to people here. It means that only others have the virus- you will be fine. I am Puerto Rican. I have a Spanish surname

I am also Black. I have family in prison. I have friend who are above 65 with family of their own in nursing homes & other friends whose families work in poultry plants who have for weeks been deeply concerned about the conditions of their work environment.

If i test positive - what bucket will the state put me in? Will my life matter less if my surname or my skin is considered? Do the lives of those in prison, or nursing homes, or the ever essential meat processing workers are they less human, less valuable, expendable?

These buckets have created the reckless mindset that has allowed for people to throw pool parties for teenagers - where clusters of positive tests have sprung up. They allow for cover to say the community is safe so we can open up. It is dangerous to everyone.

We do not live in a vacuum.
Everyone matters.
We must all protect each other.
If my Spanish surnamed black self is infected by your pool party going teenager, both of us could die...and many others could be infected. The entire community is at risk.

Demographics are important to understand different reactions of the virus & differing reach of the response. What we don't need are useless segmentations of data to artificially make people think they are somehow immune from what 'others' have to endure. Do better @AsaHutchinson