Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been reporting on how The Bronx had the potential to be one of the hardest hit boroughs during this health crisis.
Besides decades of disinvestment and income inequalities dominating our borough, we also have been living in a never ending health crisis that made the already vulnerable even more so.
Couple that with having the worst health outcomes in the state with the highest rates of diabetes, asthma, obesity, people with compromised immune systems, and highest rates of cardiovascular disease simply made The Bronx a dry forest and the coronavirus a lit match as these conditions made the population vulnerable to severe symptoms and cases of the virus.
Sadly our fears were realized as within weeks it became crystal clear that our borough was being hit hard with a mortality rate twice that of Manhattan.
In this video by Business Insider, they explore this and more on the literal life-threatening disparities that impact our borough.
Business Insider reports:
“The Bronx is the poorest borough in the city, with a median income of $38,000, compared to Manhattan’s $82,000. Almost 60% of people in the Bronx are paying more than they can afford for housing, which has led to more multigenerational housing in the Bronx and more residents in public housing than any other borough.
“For every apartment in the Bronx, there are 2.8 people living in it. Compare that to the two people living in every apartment in Manhattan. More people at home likely means more people get sick.
“Overall, there’s 350,000 more housing units in Manhattan than the Bronx, and better-quality housing. See this map? Most residents in the Bronx are dealing with maintenance problems, like leaks, rats, cracks, plumbing, and broken toilets.
“These issues alone make it more challenging to live at home, not to mention having to work from home because of COVID-19. That is, if you can work from home.”
Watch the video below:
Dear reader: Now more than ever it is important to support local journalism especially as told by a Bronx born and raised journalist telling our stories. If you found this or any of our stories informative and enjoyed our photography throughout the past 10 years, kindly consider donating to support local Bronx journalism for decades to come: