Health Disparities

Source: US News
Title: Rumor, Disparity and Distrust: Why Black Americans Face an Uphill Battle Against COVID-19
Date: March 25, 2020
STEEP Categories: Social
Link: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-03-25/why-black-americans-face-an-uphill-battle-against-the-coronavirus
Brief Description: There were many myths and rumors going around in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, one specifically implying that black people were "immune" to the virus. Since the demographics within first batch of confirmed cases in the U.S. seemed to not consist of any African-Americans, people assumed they could not be infected. However, with decades of documented unequal treatment and worse health outcomes, the current COVID-19 pandemic will place many African-Americans in danger. 
Future Implications: The highly contagious and potentially deadly virus will impact the black community very intensely across the nation.
Overall Impact: This trend confirms the baseline scenario where in the United States, based on documented health disparities between racial groups, there are higher rates of chronic diseases, poverty, housing insecurity, and lower access to health care among blacks compared to whites. In addition to that, there are many hidden biases that white doctors have towards their black patients. This makes black Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19 to a greater extent than other, more socially advantaged groups. 
Timeliness (0-5): 5
Impact (0-5): 5
Scope (0-5): 4
Likelihood (0-5): 4
Urgency (0-5): 5