COVID-19: Impact Beyond Biology - A Global Crisis - Essay Sample

Introduction

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the world immensely, completely changing the way of life. Governments have taken drastic measures such as lockdowns and social distancing and banning social gatherings. The virus primarily affects the breathing system cells and using them to replicate and is spread through the different forms of physical contact. However, its effects are not limited to such biological impacts and cover a wide range of social factors. The experiencing of the virus has covered several social aspects, including racial discrimination and inequalities (Shambaugh et al., 2019). Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the effects of the virus through the lens of race to understand its other effects, other than the biological ones.

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Past practices and policies can show the social effects of pandemics and help to inform the current situation. Anti-Asian racism, which is one of the significant social impacts of coronavirus, can be traced back to similar events in the past. In the past, immigrants have often been linked to diseases (Larsson, 2020). They have been seen as carriers of diseases and contagions that will ruin the US or as an invasive threat. ‘No matter how long Asian Americans have been in the United States or how “assimilated” into mainstream society they have become, they remain “foreigners” in America.’ (Kia, 2007, 131). Similarly, with coronavirus pandemic, there has been a pattern where Asian Americans are discriminated against and associated with the epidemic. Several cases have been reported over the last few months revolving around harassment and physical abuse, particularly among the Japanese and Chinese.

The prejudice against Asian communities has a long history in the US. About a hundred years ago, during the gold rush, one of the North American spokespersons labeled Chinese people as dangerous to the white. They were associated with low levels of morality and living under unhealthy conditions (Kian, 2007, 138). In 1884, the royal commission report concluded that the Chinese lived in filthy quarters, which were overcrowded hotbeds of vice and disease even though the commissioners knew that such conditions came from poverty. The report stated, ‘Chinese quarters are the filthiest and most disgusting places in Victoria, overcrowded hotbeds of disease and vice, disseminating fever and polluting the air all around.’ (Larrson, 2020). Politicians often accused the Chinese as being carriers of infection and linked them to diseases such as smallpox and syphilis. Such sentiments often resulted in violence, with Asians being the victims owing to their association with such vices (Kia, 2007, 141). These historical examples of discrimination are a clear depiction of how diseases have often been encoded using the underlying racial prejudice. Similar sentiments have been witnessed with the coronavirus epidemic.

The rhetoric around the pandemic has been associated with race with leaders and rumors shared via social media platforms. Vast buzzes are circulating, stating that the ‘Chinese are spreading the coronavirus in America’ (Larsson, 2020). Subsequently, school-going children of Chinese origin have, on several occasions, been bullied along the streets. Besides, Trump’s administration has been significantly involved in adopting rhetoric that links the virus to China. Some of the racist framings often used include Kung Flu, Wuhan Coronavirus, and the Chinese Virus. Such words could be seen as tolerating discrimination against Asians since they imply that they are the source of the current woes. ‘The phrase “Chinese Virus” is done deliberately to blame a country and people who others continue to associate with disease.’ (Ho, 2020). Consequently, there have been increased cases of xenophobia in different parts of the US.

The pandemic has ignited several acts of racial discrimination against Asians at the micro-level. There have been several anti-Asian incidents since its outbreak, and there have been many media reports about discrimination and attacks linked to Covid-19. The stop AAPI HATE claims to have received about 1500 reports of cases of hate speech, racism, and physical assaults against Asian-Americans and Asians (Larsson, 2020). These groups of people have been often accused of bringing the coronavirus in the US. Some of the evident public acts include yelling at people of Asian origin at a supermarket or being barred from the transportation of business (Ho, 2020). Although several hotlines have been put in place and investigation for cases of attacks heightened, these cases of harassment are on the rise over the last few months.

The various acts of discrimination seem to have been influenced by the president’s remarks. He often referred the coronavirus as the Chinese virus, and many people could have interpreted the statement to mean that the Chinese were to blame. (Ho, 2020) Besides, although Trump has given a tweet that declared his support of the Asian American community, there lacks any strong governmental response towards the increased incidents of attack against people of Asian heritage (Larsson, 2020). Such actions could have been the fuel behind racial discrimination. The government seems to tolerate the acts which have led to their propagation at the micro-level.

The existing racial inequalities that are connected to America’s institutions could have had a significant impact on how the US is experiencing the coronavirus. The rates of severe illness and mortality have been more common among Americans of color, which exposes the existing disparities. Communities of color have for a long duration borne social inequalities, and this effect is being seen with the Covid-19 pandemic (North, 2020). Structural and environmental racism had led to high rates of severe chronic health issues among people of color. Most people of color live close to landfills and incinerators. Such areas are polluted and increase vulnerability to lung-related conditions hence placing such people at higher risk of Covid-19. Besides, the continuous segregation has limited millions of people of color to living in densely populated areas in the country. ‘The black population tends to be more concentrated in the central counties of large metropolitan areas relative to the white population’ (Shambaugh et al., 2019). There are also engrained barriers in the health system which have, for an extended duration, prevented people of color from receiving quality care. Subsequently, people of color are in a precarious situation, and this situation has become evident with the immense effects of the coronavirus on such people.

Racial groups are experiencing the pandemic in different ways, hence exposing the gap of healthcare reach between different races. The black community is more vulnerable to the virus and has recorded the highest death rates. Structural inequalities have, for an extended duration, propagated poverty among black (North, 2020) Americans making them more impoverished than their white counterparts owing to the economic disparity between the two groups. Black persons and other minority populations are often overcrowded in areas where people are unable to meet the conditions of social distance effectively. Besides, such communities are mostly populated in polluted and highly populated areas and have more people per household (Shambaugh et al., 2019). Moreover, there have been several myths purporting that dark skin is immune to the coronavirus, which has led to some black people taking the suggested measures lightly. These conditions have made the blacks more prone to the coronavirus and have thus been the most hit group.

The pandemic has exposed the existing inequalities and gone further to deepen them. Statistics show that the number of coronavirus-related deaths depends on factors like where one lives, what they are doing, and their race (North, 2020). The figures have exposed a divide where on one side, there is a majority of whites residing in good areas and with plum jobs who are mildly affected by the coronavirus. On the other hand, there is a majority of minority communities living in highly populated and contaminated areas and mostly hold low-wage jobs (Shambaugh et al., 2019). The latter group has been adversely hit by the pandemic reporting more cases of mortality and severe illness.

The epidemic has also contributed to deepening the existing inequalities. The coronavirus was accompanied by an economic crisis where low-wage workers have become the most vulnerable group to layoffs during the time (Shambaugh et al., 2019). Retail and restaurant workers have been at the highest risk as many of such businesses are struggling to remain afloat and have resorted to laying off their employees. Some of the most hit low wage jobs include support and accommodation services, education, and automobile services (North, 2020). As such, the impact has been more significant among those lowly in society. Although the virus has affected everyone, those hit hardest are those who were already hurting from factors such as job insecurity and housing instability.

Besides, most directives have aimed at encouraging people to work remotely and stay at home. Still, there are people such as bus drivers and cashiers whose jobs demand physical presence. ‘In a time when people are being advised to stay home to minimize their risk of exposure, many literally can’t afford to do so.’ (North, 2020) These people are much exposed to the virus and have recorded the highest infection and death rates from the coronavirus. Such people are often unable to access quality care as they much depend on public health facilities whose funding has continuously dwindled, leading to poor service delivery (Shambaugh et al., 2019). Conversely, those with other highly categorized jobs have adjusted to working from homes hence reducing their exposure. They also have access to quality care as they can afford it. As such, the existing disparities are continuously widening under this pandemic.

My family’s location has influenced how the coronavirus pandemic has affected us. I hail from Connecticut, and the state has put in place various robust measures to combat the virus. Some of the steps include banning gatherings and closing movie theatres, casinos, and gyms. Besides, bars and restaurants are only operating on a take-out basis, while night movement has been banned for an unknown duration. These measures have led to significant changes to my family lifestyles. We regularly went eating out at night with family friends, often returning quite late. We were also ardent football fans, and we enjoyed watching matches together and hanging out with fellow fans. Currently, we are constrained to staying at home, which has been quite a transformation. Although the family bond has grown stronger, it is evident that we all miss the moments we had with people. Besides, the weekends seem more prolonged, but we are gradually learning to adjust as we wait for better days.

Conclusion

Overall, the coronavirus has had significant impacts globally and transformed the normal life processes. In the US, it has reawakened the existing prejudices against certain races, with people of Asian heritage being harassed and discriminated against in public places. The biases have resulted from the comments made by the administration that associate the virus with China. Besides, the virus has exposed the existing inequalities and gone further to deepen them. The blacks and other minority groups have been the most hit group. Such people mostly hail from crowded areas and work in low-wage jobs, most of which are closed down due to the pandemic. It is now clear that the existing disparities result from structural racism, with one group being adversely affected. Generally, the virus has been a great awak...