Summer heat waves threaten those most at risk from Covid

Jose Vatres holds his son Aidin while nurse practitioner Alexander Panis (right) and medical assistant Jessica Alvarado prepare to take a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 at a mobile testing station in a public school parking area in Compton, Calif., just south of Los Angeles, on April 28, 2020.
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images


"The poor, the elderly, and people of color could face the toughest times yet as they are disproportionately being impacted by the coronavirus, and the economic recession will make it harder for many from these communities to afford basic utilities.

The situation will be particularly dangerous for those stuck at home with Covid-19 symptoms, who don’t have—or can’t afford to run—air conditioning. It’s much worse, of course, for those who won’t have a place to stay at all, as temporary eviction suspensions end.

Meanwhile, the traditional tools that such cities as Los Angeles and New Orleans have used to help residents escape past heat waves, such as cooling centers, won’t be able to operate as usual due to the need for social distancing and stay-at-home orders still in place in many parts of the country."

-- Maya Earls, Bloomberg Law 

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