There Is No Such Thing as Race at the Genetic Level

The part of the human genome that makes our skin and hair look different is tiny compared to what we share. Race is 100% a social construct, though it is still being used as a biological category.

These two individuals share 99.9% of their genomes. There is no such thing as race at the biological level. | Photo by Mosa Moseneke on Unsplash

Those in certain minority groups are being hit harder by COVID-19 than others. In particular, the black population in America accounts for 33% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, while accounting for only 13% of the total population. Economic and social conditions drive these differences, not genetic or biologically-based ones.

Minority groups experience:

• Higher rates of poverty,
• More toxic stress with long-term health consequences,
• Poor living conditions in more densely populated areas,
• Less career advancement and educational opportunities,
• Less access to health insurance,
• Less access to high quality nutrition, and more.

These groups experience these inequalities not because of who they are at the biological level, but because of historical and systemic prejudice. And these inequalities tend to lead to greater likelihood of obesity…