Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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A recent article by Corburn et al. lays out the policies that would help slum communities in the global south deal with COVID-19. That article notes the vulnerabilities of people in these informal settlements and argues that any assistance program must recognize these realities so that the policies do not further jeopardize the survival of large segments of the population of these communities. This note extends the arguments in that paper, focusing on some of the logistic issues involved in providing assistance to informal settlements. ⋯ Because of the location and occupation of most of the residents of these communities, targeting them simultaneously addresses health and economy-wide concerns generated by COVID-19. Their characteristics make them much more likely to be afflicted by the virus and spread it to others. The main conclusions of this note with respect to policy are that the scale of such assistance is likely to be larger than has so far been proposed, that in countries with limited testing ability slums provide one of the most effective places to target assistance, that the role of community groups in providing the assistance is difficult to exaggerate, and that philanthropy has a role to play in supporting innovation.
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Social distancing is one of the few tools that the everyman has to combat the Coronavirus disease. However, for those who are subject to racialized stereotypes about work productivity, educational ability, and other assumptions, the choice to socially distance can have many unintended consequences. ⋯ Will we selectively provide compassion for the racial groups we perceive more favorable when this is over? Or will we play favorites when it is time to pick up the pieces? This article provides scenarios and commentary on how social distancing could affect Black American populations - regardless of income or socioeconomic status. It argues that history has not been kind to Black Americans who have bought into mass national causes, and that there is an opportunity here to act differently.
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Editorial Comment
COVID-19 and Food Insecurity: an Uneven Patchwork of Responses.