COVID

Key Takeaways

• “Your ZIP code is more important than your genetic code,” suggests genetics are not primarily responsible for COVID-19 susceptibility.
• By addressing the 70% non-genetic factors for health and wellness, communities and individuals can improve their health status.
• COVID-19 kills by overwhelming the pulmonary system. Three prevalent lifestyle issues in American society compromise individuals’ pulmonary systems. They are obesity, tobacco use and sedentary behavior. 
• Economic stress, high population density, excess obesity, smoking rates, drug abuse, and lack of access to healthcare contribute to COVID-19’s rapid transmission, high prevalence, and increased mortality in marginalized communities.
• COVID-19 poses a grave threat to low-income communities afflicted with poor SDOH. 
• COVID-19 should motivate America to embrace health and wellness broadly. Decreasing disease burden now increases our collective ability to repel the next pandemic.