Copyright © 2020 Korean Continence Society This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution,… Click to show full abstract
Copyright © 2020 Korean Continence Society This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Corresponding author: Jayoung Kim https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3683-4627 Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA E-mail: [email protected] Submitted: June 4, 2020 / Accepted after revision: June 15, 2020 To the editor, Public health is a complicated issue. This has become particularly evident during this worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. On May 25, 2020, Mr. George Floyd, an African American man residing in Minneapolis was killed in police custody. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the arresting officer had his knee pressed on Mr. Floyd’s neck, ultimately killing him through asphyxiation. This event ignited a movement of fiery protests fueled by the current status of racial discrimination and socioeconomic and healthcare disparities in America, much of which is still ongoing as I write this letter on June 2, 2020. There is mounting evidence that suggests that minorities experience a greater incidence and worse cases of diseases compared to white Americans. The root causes of these health disparities have been heavily studied; racism and discrimination make access to healthcare resources difficult and, sometimes, impossible. When it comes to COVID-19, key risk factors, such as age, sex, and comorbidities (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease), are linked to worse outcomes. Unfortunately, these factors are compounded with the disparities noted with race and socioeconomic status. Poorer communities and people of color experience limited access to health education, hygiene management, and healthy foods. Additionally, they live in areas with denser populations, which makes it difficult to maintain appropriate social distancing, specifically regarding COVID-19. What Does Research Data Tell Us So Far?
               
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