The Immunocompromised Community (Joi Takenouchi)
Fact-Checked Source:
Catherine Kim, "Immunocompromised People are Anxious About Being Left Behind in the Coronavirus Pandemic"
On May 27, 2020, Vox writer Catherine Kim gave a voice to those who are immunocompromised, sharing their fears and anxieties surrounding COVID-19 and the uncertainties that come along with it. CK Article Link
Looking Deeper: Five Facts Checked
I wanted to look into this claim because I was curious if those who are immunocompromised had a higher chance of contracting COVID-19. According to the CDC, it turns out that those who are immunocmompromised are only more likely to face severe complications including death if they are to contract it, but don't have a higher risk of contracting the disease in comparison to healthy people.Contracting the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, could easily lead to her death.
Khan is just one of the 10 million immunocompromised people in the US who could be affected by the pandemic.This fact matters because those who are immunocompromised are the most vulnerable people amidst the pandemic, and it is important to know just how many people are affected. It turns out that, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, that 10 million is not only a rough estimate, but also probably an under-estimate of those who are immunocompromised in the US, as it only includes those with HIV/AIDS, organ transplant recipients, and cancer patients, while excluding a sizable population of those who may have autoimmune disorders, or simply take immunosuppressive drugs to treat other diseases that on their own, would not suppress the immune system.
Trump's rush to get people back to their jobs would have dire consequences for immunocompromised people. Returning to work would mean risking death.
This fact may seem dramatic to some, but could returning to work really mean death for those who are immunocompromised? According to Business Insider, rushing to lift the lockdown would not "save the economy", it would just kill more Americans and prolong the pain.
"Even if you're healthy you can still become disabled, you can still become chronically ill... This sickness doesn't discriminate against anyone"
This fact is extremely important for Americans to understand in order for the stay-home orders and social distancing protocols to be followed by the general public. As reinforced by the CDC, although immunocompromised people are more likely to suffer from severe complications if they were to contract the virus, healthy people are equally as likely to contract it. It is also still possible for healthy people to suffer severe complications if they were to contract the virus, just not quite as high as those who are immunocompromised.
For the past week, Trump has been touting hydroxychloroquine as a miracle drug for COVID-19.
I was curious about this fact, as to what evidence warranted this statement and how accurate it really was. According to the CDC, there is no evidence that this is effective, or even safe, and that there is no known cure/treatment for COVID-19 at this time. Not only is this information wrong, but it's actually harmful, as according to Kaiser Health News, people have begun to hoard the drug, making its supply unstable- causing unnecessary problems for people who have immediate need for it, such as lupus and rheumatoid patients.
Analytic Essay
The Most Vulnerable within our Society: Immunocompromised Perspectives on COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly taken the world by storm, seemingly growing exponentially, thus leaving hundreds and thousands affected, and tens of thousands dead in the United States alone so far. As stay-home orders and social distancing protocols emerged, many people simply brushed these off, knowing they’re not at-risk, and continued on with their normal lives. This can include going to meet with friends, or even just the grocery store as if nothing had changed. On the other hand, those who are immunocompromised had no choice but to abide by these protocols, set by the CDC, knowing that contracting the disease could be a death sentence.The term immunocompromised includes, but is not limited to, people with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, people who have undergone chemotherapy, have an autoimmune disorder, or have HIV, and many more. There are an estimated 10 million people with underlying conditions that cause a compromised immune system in the United States. When also considering the elderly as a population with compromised immune systems, there is an estimated 60% of all Americans that are at risk for severe complications from this novel coronavirus. Those who are at an added risk for severe complications face the possibility of being hospitalized,connected to a respirator, or even death. With the current administration wanting to rush back into things, the grocery store’s shelves being nearly wiped clean, and the careless acts of people who do not feel that their own life is at risk and therefore do not abide by the social distancing protocols, anxiety for those whose lives are in danger continue to increase.
Due to the severity of consequences every single immunocompromised person currently faces, they were quick to abide by the stay-home order issued, and practice social distancing in every aspect of their lives. While others continue to have gathering of more than 10 people, refuse to wear masks in public places, and disregard the CDC’s recommendation to stay at least 6 feet away from anyone not included in immediate family, those who are immunocompromised have no other choice but to stay home and watch in terror, as this reckless behavior continues, without any idea when the next time they will be able to leave their houses.
With so much information being released about COVID-19, from the news, to social media, even to our own president, it’s difficult to know who to trust. Our own president, Donald Trump, even notioned toward the idea that the stay-home order would be lifted by Easter, which has since passed without the lift of the clearly essential stay-home order. He has also posted ridiculously ignorant tweets encouraging the people of Michigan and Colorado for example, to protest against their governor and the stay-home orders and in turn, breaking the potentially life-saving rules that trusted organizations like the CDC are working so diligently to publish in an attempt to flatten the curve and save lives.
A main group within the immunocompromised people that are concerned for their well being is the HIV community. It is known that HIV, which reduces T-cell counts and compromises the immune system, can lead to AIDS (Weiss R 1993). With this in mind, many people living with HIV have begun to seriously worry whether their condition will make them high-risk for developing those life threatening complications from COVID-19. Even though HIV is no longer as serious as a threat to the population as it was in the 80’s because of drugs available that allow individuals to live full and healthy lives, there is no way of knowing whether they are considered at risk, or not (Shaw ML 2020). Simply not knowing whether or not you are at an increased risk of serious complications brings anxiety to not only them, but their whole family.
At this time, the most vulnerable people in our society are those that are immunocompromised. What does it say about us, as a society, if we continuously and consciously make decisions that have a direct negative impact on such a large part of our population, i.e. the most vulnerable people in our society right now?. If this virus had been observed to have high death rates in children, such as smallpox or polio, would people have acted differently? Would people have shown more compassion towards children?
It is really sad to think that if it were that way, if children were more susceptible to contracting these severe complications, that countless parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, teachers, and so many more people would do anything and everything they could to keep them safe. It really shines a light on the American society, and how little respect and care we have for the people who nurtured us, taught us, gave us everything that has shaped us into who and what we are. It goes to show the selfish nature that does not seem to be shared with any other country in the world. This only promotes the ideology that if you are not personally affected, why change for the sake of others?
Through exploring this perspective, it will hopefully encourage and inspire those who are healthy, and may see this whole pandemic as more of an inconvenience than the urgent health crisis that it is, to make an attempt to consider the big picture, to think about those most vulnerable right now, and what we can do to protect them. Without the compliance of the collective United States, there's no telling how long until it is safe enough for the world to return to any kind of normalcy.