As data becomes available, differences in the impact of COVID-19 in women and men are emerging. Becker’s Hospital Review compiled key statistics about the pandemic’s effect on women. Read on to learn more.
Becker’s Hospital Reviewrecently compiled key statistics from hospital and healthcare leaders about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting U.S. women. The results, published in Becker's Hospital Review August 3, 2020 edition looked at 6 ways the pandemic is changing the way women live. Let’s take a closer look at the results.
Health Care
In June, The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a poll using 1,296 adult telephone interviews. The poll found that women (49%) were more likely than men (33%) to skip or postpone medical and/or dental care because of COVID-19. The pandemic is adding to the barriers women already face in U.S. healthcare, especially women who are minorities, low income, live in rural communities, and have disabilities.
A survey conducted by the Guttmacher Institute found one-third of U.S. women had delayed or canceled medical visits for sexual and reproductive healthcare due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic emerged during the public health crisis of increased rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among black women.
Jobs
According to a Pew Research Center Study, more women (11.5 million) lost jobs between February and May 2020 than men (9 million).
Fetal COVID-19 infections later in pregnancy tend to be rare
Emerging data suggest pregnancy may make women more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 due to:
Lungs and the cardiovascular system already stressed during pregnancy
The mother’s immune system compromised to prevent an anti-fetal immune response.
Pregnant women have a higher risk of blood clots and the risk is amplified with COVID-19
Racial Differences
New research from the New York Times found pregnant Black and Latino women in Philadelphia are 5 times more likely to be exposed to the coronavirus when compared to the city’s pregnant White women. The study also found 10% of Black and Latino pregnant participants had been exposed to the virus compared to only 2% of White pregnant women and 1% of Asian women.
Beyond Pregnancy
A recent study, published in BJOG, followed 675 pregnant women admitted for delivery at 3 New York hospitals in late March and April. After giving birth, 9 of 70 (13%) women positive for COVID-19 had at least 1 of three complications after delivery:
Fever
Low oxygen level
Hospital readmission
Of the 605 non-infected women, 27 women (4.5%) had one of the above three post-delivery complications.
Leadership
Between July 14th and July 28th, women continued to accept hospital leadership positions despite the on-going pandemic. Women in nursing made the following leadership moves:
President at Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Washington, N.C.
Chief Infection Prevention Officer at Ballad Health, Johnson City, TN
Burden
I recently read an article on the World Economic Forum and the writer suggests women experience greater fallout from the pandemic than men. The writer gave 3 reasons for this conclusion:
The majority of health and social care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle are women.
Women generally are still responsible for childcare and mass school closures have proved challenging for women in this role.
Women do more unpaid care work than men, such as caring for family members with the virus.
Life with COVID has been a challenge for everyone, regardless of race or gender. As more research is becoming available on the physical, social and emotional impact of the virus, disparities between certain groups are better understood. Perhaps what we learn during these uncharted days will be a catalyst for improving women’s health in the future.
Your Thoughts?
What disparities have you experienced or witnessed over the past few months?
Is wearing a mask a reasonable protection against C19? If you do not take precautions and contract C19, then that is your fault. Lifestyle disease is solely the responsibility of the one living the lifestyle. The interesting thing is how few are willing to accept it.
Masks have been made a law in many states and states that haven’t done so still have areas within the state that have also made it a law. Good luck enforcing it. Businesses place a sign on the door but say nothing as they watch customers violate the order. Airlines say that passengers must wear masks but they do not enforce it. My husband works on OR equipment in hospitals so he unfortunately has to fly to some accounts-the airline will say that everyone has to wear a mask-but don’t do anything if they don’t have one on when boarding-they will keep telling them about their seatbelt and trays, but nothing about the mask they keep taking off or never had on to begin with. The person doing checkin has their mask below their nose to top it off and lets people board without a mask after stating one is required.
Of course the ones without the masks seen to be the loudest and most ‘chatty’ on the plane I’ve heard. My husband told the guy to please stop screaming questions at him and put his mask on since he has a family that he doesn’t want to subject to COVID19 since he was seated close to some a-hole on the plane. Laws/rules are completely useless if not enforced and those employed by companies not enforcing the policies are not helping the problem.
Oh, and his luggage for the plane right was an extra $630 for three bags (tools to make an OR operational again)-their response, “We’ve lost millions over the past few months”....what the heck does that make three bags suddenly cost $630 for one person-on top of the $800 air ticket to sit next to the obnoxious guy refusing to wear a mask....
More and more places are starting to feel like a trip to Walmart only with much higher prices....
NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN
1,599 Posts
Masks have been made a law in many states and states that haven’t done so still have areas within the state that have also made it a law. Good luck enforcing it. Businesses place a sign on the door but say nothing as they watch customers violate the order. Airlines say that passengers must wear masks but they do not enforce it. My husband works on OR equipment in hospitals so he unfortunately has to fly to some accounts-the airline will say that everyone has to wear a mask-but don’t do anything if they don’t have one on when boarding-they will keep telling them about their seatbelt and trays, but nothing about the mask they keep taking off or never had on to begin with. The person doing checkin has their mask below their nose to top it off and lets people board without a mask after stating one is required.
Of course the ones without the masks seen to be the loudest and most ‘chatty’ on the plane I’ve heard. My husband told the guy to please stop screaming questions at him and put his mask on since he has a family that he doesn’t want to subject to COVID19 since he was seated close to some a-hole on the plane. Laws/rules are completely useless if not enforced and those employed by companies not enforcing the policies are not helping the problem.
Oh, and his luggage for the plane right was an extra $630 for three bags (tools to make an OR operational again)-their response, “We’ve lost millions over the past few months”....what the heck does that make three bags suddenly cost $630 for one person-on top of the $800 air ticket to sit next to the obnoxious guy refusing to wear a mask....
More and more places are starting to feel like a trip to Walmart only with much higher prices....