This article states that people of color have a high death rate in the state of Texas. The high death rate could be due to lower income, the lack of access to health care, and preexisting conditions. Many people of color work in jobs that are more exposed to the virus and few work from home which is considered safer during the pandemic. Much of the deaths are tied to poverty and high populated areas. Hidalgo county, near the border of Mexico, was hit the hardest by the coronavirus. Delays in insurance and death certificates were the cause for the count being very high early on but they have since recalculated the number to 312 deaths due to the virus. The gulf of Texas was also hit hard with COVID-19. Hindsight being 20/20, we should have been tracking how to recover from the virus rather than focusing on the death toll so much.
“In 2016 an estimated 15 percent of Texans were uninsured, the highest percentage of any state and much higher than the 10 percent figure for the U.S. population as a whole” (Champagne 426). Our united states government has discussed ways to make health care available to all citizens. There are contrasted opinions amongst politicians and citizens on how it should be provided and to what extent. Another question that weighs on our government is: Should health care be a mandatory investment on each person? If the insurance is not affordable to a citizen due to poverty, then someone must pay for it in this scenario. During covid 19, I am sure that the government’s concern for lack of health insurance amongst the poor amplified across Texas. The situation in the article is logically consistent with our textbook. The government has had a concern with the lack of insurance and in the article, people died because of the lack of health care amongst the poorer U.S. citizens.
“Rural communities may be more vulnerable to disease outbreaks as they often exhibit high poverty rates and older populations with increased prevalence of comorbidities” (Holder, Katherine et al.) Comorbidities is the presence of two or more underlying conditions in one person. Holder states that increased inflammation from covid 19 also exasperates the underlying conditions which can cause death quickly in the patient. The author in this article is consistent with the first article and addresses the people that suffered with covid and due to their previous health concerns.
I helplessly watched my husband suffer through the virus along with Pneumonia in January. He does not have underlying health conditions that we are aware of and yet this virus was very scary. I scoured the internet on natural ways to add to the routine of the medications that the medical doctors provided to him. A lot of Mexican tea that consisted of garlic, rosemary, eucalyptus, and lemon was added to the routine along with me having my husband do as much walking as possible. More than anything, we prayed for God’s help. About 5 days of worry, my husband began to improve tremendously. As mentioned in the first article, I wish that people would have tracked the ways they recovered more than counting the overwhelming number of deaths during 2020, causing people to panic more than search for potential hope.
Works cited:
Champagne, Anthony et al. Governing Texas: Fourth Edition. New York NY, W.W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Holder, Katherine and. al. Sage Journals: The Covid 19 Effect on the Immune System and Mitochondrial Dynamics in Diabetes, Obesity, and Dementia. 26 Sep 2020 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1073858420960443. Accessed 14 June 2021.
