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Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities.

Publication ,  Journal Article
McClure, ES; Vasudevan, P; Bailey, Z; Patel, S; Robinson, WR
Published in: Am J Epidemiol
November 2, 2020

Epidemiology of the US coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak focuses on individuals' biology and behaviors, despite centrality of occupational environments in the viral spread. This demonstrates collusion between epidemiology and racial capitalism because it obscures structural influences, absolving industries of responsibility for worker safety. In an empirical example, we analyzed economic implications of race-based metrics widely used in occupational epidemiology. In the United States, White adults have better average lung function and worse hearing than Black adults. Impaired lung function and impaired hearing are both criteria for workers' compensation claims, which are ultimately paid by industry. Compensation for respiratory injury is determined using a race-specific algorithm. For hearing, there is no race adjustment. Selective use of race-specific algorithms for workers' compensation reduces industries' liability for worker health, illustrating racial capitalism operating within public health. Widespread and unexamined belief in inherent physiological inferiority of Black Americans perpetuates systems that limit industry payouts for workplace injuries. We see a parallel in the epidemiology of COVID-19 disparities. We tell stories of industries implicated in the outbreak and review how they exemplify racial capitalism. We call on public health professionals to critically evaluate who is served and neglected by data analysis and to center structural determinants of health in etiological evaluation.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Am J Epidemiol

DOI

EISSN

1476-6256

Publication Date

November 2, 2020

Volume

189

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1244 / 1253

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workplace
  • White People
  • United States
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Racism
  • Public Health
  • Pneumonia, Viral
  • Pandemics
  • Occupational Health
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
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McClure, E. S., Vasudevan, P., Bailey, Z., Patel, S., & Robinson, W. R. (2020). Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities. Am J Epidemiol, 189(11), 1244–1253. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaa126
McClure, Elizabeth S., Pavithra Vasudevan, Zinzi Bailey, Snehal Patel, and Whitney R. Robinson. “Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities.Am J Epidemiol 189, no. 11 (November 2, 2020): 1244–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaa126.
McClure ES, Vasudevan P, Bailey Z, Patel S, Robinson WR. Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities. Am J Epidemiol. 2020 Nov 2;189(11):1244–53.
McClure, Elizabeth S., et al. “Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities.Am J Epidemiol, vol. 189, no. 11, Nov. 2020, pp. 1244–53. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/aje/kwaa126.
McClure ES, Vasudevan P, Bailey Z, Patel S, Robinson WR. Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities. Am J Epidemiol. 2020 Nov 2;189(11):1244–1253.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Epidemiol

DOI

EISSN

1476-6256

Publication Date

November 2, 2020

Volume

189

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1244 / 1253

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workplace
  • White People
  • United States
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Racism
  • Public Health
  • Pneumonia, Viral
  • Pandemics
  • Occupational Health