NJ HEROES TOO A Study in Community Collaboration A s COVID-19 devastated communities worldwide, in the United States the disease proved to be especially virulent among medically, economically, and socially vulnerable
swiftly moving COVID-19 vaccine research, clinical trials, and widespread and unprecedented media attention to glitches in the trials, coupled with a highly volatile political climate, recent anti-immigrant sentiment, persistent social justice unrest, an onslaught of information and misinformation, and the unprecedented response to the seemingly unrelenting disease, appeared to reawaken deeply rooted distrust and hesitancy. To better understand the reasons for the lower rates of COVID-19 testing as well as reservations about the clinical trials and vaccines, a transdisciplinary group of researchers from Rutgers University held conversations with diverse groups of community members. Despite a pervasive reluctance to be among the first to immunize due to fears about the vaccine, many Black and Latinx residents opted to deploy other methods to protect themselves. Many sought to mitigate exposure by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and washing hands frequently; looked for information from reliable sources; and relied on testing, but many encountered barriers when attempting to get tested.
populations. Although early victims tended to be elders and those with pre-existing health conditions, disease incidence, illness, and deaths emerged disproportionately higher among the poor and among Black and Latinx communities. While advanced age and health status are known predictors of worse health outcomes, the disparate impact on the poor and among underrepresented minority populations is attributed to a complex mélange of economic and social disadvantage—among these limited resources, inadequate living conditions, employment instability and healthcare access—as well as distrust, perceptions of medical bias and unequal treatment, and lived experiences. Early in the pandemic, New Jersey ranked second in per capita rate of COVID-19 deaths. Although these deaths occurred disproportionately in Black and Latinx communities, especially in Essex, Middlesex, Passaic, and Union counties, rates of testing were also observed to be profoundly lower. Reports of
continued on next page
iStock/Getty Images
3 | N J A C T S 4 U s ! | Connect
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker