COVID pandemic exposed inequities involving age, race, political affiliation

The United States has reached 1 million COVID-19 deaths.

The United States has hit a grim milestone: 1 million COVID-19 deaths. During the past two years the virus has posed a deadly risk, but it hasn’t affected every person the same way. The pandemic has highlighted inequalities that have already existed -- and exposed new disparities between age, race and political affiliation.

Jino Cabrera of Sherman Oaks, California, lost his brother to COVID-19 in January 2022.

Although Christian Cabrera was healthy, with no-pre-existing conditions, and his hospitalization was unexpected, he had been the only sibling in his Filipino family who had been against the vaccine.

“My other brother is somewhat of a conspiracy theorist,” said Jino Cabrera, who added that Christian had promised to get vaccinated after the holidays, but by that time it had been too late.