Elizabeth McClure|Pavithra Vasudevan|Zinzi Bailey|Saroj Kumar Patel|Whitney R. Robinson
Racial Capitalism Within Public Health—How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
abstract epidemiology us coronavirus disease 2019 covid19 outbreak focuses individuals biology behaviors despite centrality occupational environments viral spread demonstrates collusion epidemiology racial capitalism obscures structural influences absolving industries responsibility worker safety empirical example analyzed economic implications racebased metrics widely used occupational epidemiology united states white adults better average lung function worse hearing black adults impaired lung function impaired hearing criteria workers compensation claims ultimately paid industry compensation respiratory injury determined using racespecific algorithm hearing race adjustment selective use racespecific algorithms workers compensation reduces industries liability worker health illustrating racial capitalism operating within public health widespread unexamined belief inherent physiological inferiority black americans perpetuates systems limit industry payouts workplace injuries see parallel epidemiology covid19 disparities tell stories industries implicated outbreak review exemplify racial capitalism call public health professionals critically evaluate served neglected data analysis center structural determinants health etiological evaluation