Fact-Checked Source: Time.com, "...failing to help low-income people prevent and treat COVID-19 might come back to hurt us all in the end."

Looking Deeper: Five Facts Checked

"When we're telling people to call their doctor and let them know if they have symptoms they might be worried about, or if they've had contact with somebody who may have tested positive, they may not have anybody to call."

"I cannot afford to take a day off if I'm sick."

"The poor came down with influenza first, while the rich with less exposure in the first wave had the highest morbidity in the second wave."

"They all open the same door, touch the same door and walk through the same narrow hallway, sit in the same small cafetaria, eat the same food, go back touch everything, and they all do recreation together."

"Or potentially, if they're unsheltered, they're in encampments, where they're living in close quarters and have little access to personal hygiene facilities. 

Analytic Essay

A Rocky Road: The Low-Income's Struggle with COVID-19

“The population has...no access to clean water -- the lack of resources and all the social determinants of health,” stated Teena Chopra, an infectious disease specialist at Detroit Medical Center and professor at Wayne State University. Dr. Chopra’s statement is one of many that reveal the struggle of the low-income during the pandemic crisis. The low-income face many challenges, but the coronavirus is a new one that can and possibly ruin all that they worked for. Even so, with the assistance of organizations such as Human Rights Watch, the low-income hopefully can survive and live to tell the tale of COVID-19.

They’re near the bottom of the economic ladder. They have the jobs: “line-cooks, nurse's aids, grocery store clerks, nannies”, that can’t be done remotely and don’t offer paid sick days. The low-income can’t afford to “stockpile shelf-stable foods…stay home from work and contact a doctor if they are ill.” The elderly, too, are among the poorest and the most vulnerable to die from the virus. They also rely mostly on low-income health aids that may be at risk for the virus too. The low-income does not have the ease middle- and upper-income families have that comes along with having money to fall back on. With nothing to fall back on and no defenses, the low-income are left vulnerable to the coronavirus. 

Due to the pandemic outbreak in the U.S., schools have shut down, containment zones, and quarantines enforced to prevent its expansion. The many efforts to prevent the spread have inflicted negatively on the poor. Families can’t rely on child care when their kids are home all day though parents might find themselves without a job to earn money. If they’re sick, paid sick leave or health insurance isn't always guaranteed. With no cash coming in, the low-income are startling defenseless to the virus. They have a higher risk of catching the virus with limited access to healthcare and resources. Their struggles, on the other hand, have triggered their community and organizations to raise funds and awareness for them. In Oregon, city staffers are creating a program to cover basic household needs for low-income families and suspended landlords from forcing tenants out for not paying rent, but to allow them to pay all their fees up to six months after the state of emergency. An organization, Human Rights Watch, is pushing for the U.S. government to consider a safety net to protect people who face “job and wage loss and inability essential bills.” HRW is also pushing the government for long-term and target support because one-time income support is not enough if the pandemic prolongs for months.

While they receive assistance from organizations and their community, politicians, and public health officials do not take into account social inequalities when forming plans. The low-income will be hit first and the hardest and without economic packages towards them, their downfall is the cause for the rest. The economic and social differences cause conflict because HRW raised the idea of the low-income should be treated first and Svenn-Erik Mamelund discovered socioeconomic differences among those who contracted the 1918 Spanish Flu impacted survival rates that are presented in his quote above. 

The low-income, while struggling, isn't hopeless. A McDonald's employee from California demands of the fast-food chain changes its policies because health aids and blue-collar workers will not be able to afford to stay home from work if they are sick. Families with children that rely on free and reduced school breakfasts and lunches do not have to go without food because their local schools are giving out free meals. In Detroit, Michigan, for instance, Mayor Mike Duggan managed to deliver 40,000 free meals a week for children out of school. In response to the international human rights law that states “an obligation to protect people’s right to an adequate standard of living, ...the highest attainable standard of health and social security," the U.S. Congress passed  The Families First Coronavirus Response Act that addresses the impacts of the coronavirus and provides a safety net for workers and families impacted by it.

In all, the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. has caused the low-income to become vulnerable and be the first to face the economic impact of it. The outbreak forced children out of school and people to lose their jobs with no hopes of a steady income. Regardless of the continuous efforts of their communities and organizations to help them through this trying time, the poor remains to be the most affected by the virus. If the pandemic remains for several months, they will require long-term economic assistance and a safety net to catch them because they don't have anything to fall back on.

References

Coppola, G., Welch, D., & Querolo, N. (2020, March 28). Virus Erupts in U.S. Cities Where the Poor Have Few Defenses. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-28/virus-erupts-in-poor-u-s-cities-whose-people-have-few-defenses 

This is a primary source that interviewed people in Detroit and how Michigan and other states are being impacted by COVID-19. The perspective is presented by direct quotes of interviewees with their names, occupation, and the location where they work. It explains the environment of the people they interviewed. The purpose of this article is to display the many defenses low-income people have against COVID-19 and how they are struggling with it and to prevent it from spreading. The key ideas are people with health issues lack transportation to hospitals and doctors thus not having access to health care. This causes the virus to spread rapidly and despite the Michigan governor's executive orders, the cases have increased. The virus has stressed car companies and hospitals in Michigan as well as causing states to fight with the federal government. This source offers first-hand knowledge of how people are struggling to live alongside COVID-19 infected areas and the continued extent of it.
 

Jr., E. B. (2020, March 26). Portland considering cash payments to low-income households impacted by a coronavirus. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/portland-considering-coronavirus-cash-payments-to-low-income-households.html  

This is a daily newspaper based in Oregon. This article refers to local Oregon government officials. The purpose of this article is to present that Portland is thinking about providing low-income people impacted by COVID-19 with cash payments. The key ideas are that local government officials are creating a program to help citizens with basic household needs and the details of it. With that, the Portland City Council approved $1 million to fund direct payments to Portlanders. After Oregon issued restrictions, businesses have closed, laying off workers causing them to file for unemployment insurance benefits. Oregon Live is a good source because Oregon, too, is being impacted by COVID-19.

US: Address Impact of COVID-19 on Poor. (2020, March 19). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/19/us-address-impact-covid-19-poor#

The Human Rights Watch is composed of country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect people in need. They utilize statistical data, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and philosophical analysis. The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has put a spotlight on economic inequalities and a fragile social safety net that leaves vulnerable communities to bear the economic brunt of the crisis, Human Rights Watch said today. Key ideas are that low-income jobs and people can not perform that cause the poor to be at a higher risk for catching the virus. This can be seen in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by the US House of Rep. and Senate to address the pandemic effect and provide a safety net for those impacted by it. The US government also considered payroll tax cuts and bailouts though they wouldn't benefit people without income, unauthorized, and informal workers. Long-term and targeted support is needed alongside immediate support. Human Rights Watch provides good evidence because they conduct research and advocate on human rights. 

Vesoulis, A. (2020, March 11). Coronavirus May Disproportionately Hurt the Poor-And That's Bad for Everyone. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://time.com/5800930/how-coronavirus-will-hurt-the-poor/  

This is an article from Time.com. This article refers to the statical data from reputable sources such as Columbia University and to a McDonald's employee. The main argument of this article is to present that COVID-19 can impact the poor in more ways than one. Key ideas are low-income people lack resources to prepare and protect themselves against the virus. With public facilities being closed down, low-income children lack daily nutrition, child care, and virtual learning. Elderly people may be the most vulnerable to contract the virus but they are also the poorest. Additionally, self-quarantine is difficult for families living with multiple people, those in prison and homeless. Time Magazine is a good source because it is an American weekly news magazine and news website that has been around since 1923.