Volume 15, Number 2, Summer 2020

The Spread of COVID-19 among Blacks: How does it impact Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)?

AUTHOR(S):

  • Kyomi Gregory Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program, Pace University, New York, NY, USA
  • Tiffany Henley, Ph.D., Department of Public Health Administration, Pace University, New York, NY, USA
  • Ana B. Amaya, DrPH, MPH, Health Science Program, Pace University, New York, NY, USA, United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies, Bruges, Belgium

ABSTRACT

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and data becomes available, there is an urgent need to identify and address the reasons Black communities are disproportionately impacted by the virus. While comorbidities among Blacks are part of the problem, we argue that focusing solely on this issue ignores the root causes that lead to the high COVID-19 cases and fatality rates among minorities. Our analysis shows that examining the structural determinants of health, such as income, access to healthcare, built environment, and social exclusion, are crucial to understanding why this specific minority group has been affected so severely by COVID-19. The direct impact of COVID-19 on the role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) in healthcare settings along with the need to focus on lifelong cultural humility is discussed. Specific suggestions on how to educate SLPs on the structural barriers to care among Blacks are provided.

DOI:

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