Trump survived COVID-19 because of medical care most Americans will never receive
Right before being released from the Walter Reed Medical Center, President Donald Trump tweeted that he was, “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Unfortunately, most Americans face the opposite of Trump’s triumph, as they struggle with a lack of medical resources that privileged elites have at their disposal.
As the COVID-19 pandemic took millions of lives, Trump downplayed the gravity of the situation, all while he had access to constant testing. When he contracted the virus, he benefited from top-tier medical care and an experimental cocktail of treatments amid a backdrop of attempts to undermine the Affordable Care Act. His personal doctors continue to provide him with remedies that won’t be available to the American public for the foreseeable future.
In upcoming weeks, the president will have guaranteed access to some of the best doctors and facilities in the world. He will be constantly monitored, both in the comfort of his home and at work. He will have nutritionists building him the perfect post-COVID diet and supplement regime. If he exhibits the slightest symptom, there will be a specialist there to take his vitals and advise his next course of action.
Few people around the globe, let alone in the United States, have access to this quality of healthcare and life. The reality is that Trump has the privilege to ignore the millions of Americans who died or are suffering from the same virus that he is receiving top-of-the-line care for. His status as a white wealthy elite almost guarantees his ability to recover from COVID-19, a standard of healthcare that he has actively barred others from attaining.
Much of Trump’s medical privilege revolves around his whiteness. According to the Brookings Institute, COVID-19 death rates among Black and Hispanic/Latino people are much higher than that of white people. This is explained by the fact that these groups overall have less access to healthcare, and a greater prevalence of preexisting conditions like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and lung disease. Pre-COVID, Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans still had higher rates of morbidity and mortality for multiple conditions than white people due to racial health disparities. COVID-19 exacerbated this inequality, resulting in disproportionate coronavirus infection rates and deaths among people of color.
Without accessible testing nd healthcare, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities must rely on public measures to curb the spread of COVID-19; Social distancing, mask-wearing, and government assistance, all of which have been undermined by the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers. Yet, the medical care Trump is receiving and Republicans are praising comes from both public and private sectors.
While a U.S. president should be given adequate medical attention, Trump and his supporters are using his recovery as another way to undermine the catastrophic consequences of COVID-19. On Tuesday, Trump told his administration’s negotiators to end coronavirus stimulus talks with Democrats until “after I win.” This effectively eliminates the chance of Americans receiving a new coronavirus relief package, leaving many without aid as COVID-19 continues to exacerbate racial and economic inequalities.
Trump’s recovery proves that health — life and death — in this country are disproportionately impacted by wealth, class, and race. His improving health shows that booting millions out of their homes, jobs, and healthcare plans during a global pandemic is a known death sentence and guarantee of suffering as the president looks away.
