"Deaths from Covid-19 are disproportionately high among people of color in the United States. As cities and states lift stay-at-home restrictions, these numbers are likely worsen. Because of this, a sociologist who studies black health care workers posits that the pandemic may be a breaking point, setting back the modest diversity progress made in the field. Why? First, her research shows that black health care workers report going into medicine to help underserved populations. Because of this, they often work in hospitals that serve communities of color. According to her interview subjects, these hospitals are critically understaffed and under-resourced, which may result in black health care workers getting sick disproportionally in addition to their patients — physically, mentally, and emotionally. To address this, hospital systems, medical schools, and policymakers need to find ways to better support their black employees, today and in the future."

Support: Digital