Many Hispanic Covid-19 Long-Haulers Unaware They Have It
According to the CDC, "ONE in FIVE American adults who had covid-19 still have long-haul covid".
As I talk to people in Hispanic communities in different cities, many tell me they still have symptoms that seem to be like covid symptoms or other symptoms that they never had before. But, when they get tested, they always come out negative. When I hear the symptoms, fatigue, breathing issues, ear issues, coughing, and other similar symptoms, it seems like issues that I have read associated with covid long-haulers. Yet, when I tell them they sound like symptoms of long haul covid, they don't understand. Until I look up articles and show them the articles, they finally start understand and believe me.
Additionally, Hispanics, by culture and low economic issues, tend to ignore many health symptoms, especially Latinos. Thus, you have the potential for Hispanics to possibly have other long-term issues later due to long-haul covid. And although some non-Hispanics are also unaware that these symptoms can become more of an issue for Hispanics because they have less access to healthcare.
WHAT CAN BE DONE
Realizing that solutions to long-haul covid complications continue to be identified, we need to:
Have a concentrated effort to educate the Hispanic community, especially Latinos, so they have theirs and their family's symptoms and complications checked by their doctors immediately.
As new solutions are identified, the healthcare community should develop a Hispanic-focused awareness and education program both in Spanish and English. They must include Spanish TV, social media, news stories and community engagement.
We need to develop a Hispanic strategy, not just a translation of the English campaign, which has often happened when it comes to health issues. To be honest, sometimes even that wasn't done as l personally saw during the pandemic. That's why my firm right away took it upon ourselves to create efforts to address covid solution awareness like monoclonal antibodies availability. We did not wait till others did it, and we were successful. So, if everybody were to jump in now, we could affect long-haul covid within the Hispanic community.
Joe Lopez CEO
Lopez PR & Marketing Group
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