The fulfillment of the rights to health and life for minorities in the U.S. in the era of COVID-19: the case for universal healthcare

Abstract

In the year 2020, the world has experienced a pandemic with catastrophic social and economic implications, yet the United States, the richest country in the world, has exceeded other countries in both the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Most of these cases and deaths disproportionately affect marginalized populations, but a contagious virus has illustrated that each person is only as healthy as their most vulnerable neighbor. This research explores the way in which the rights to life and health are understood in various legal and regional contexts, flaws that COVID-19 have revealed in the current institutional structure that oppress communities of color, and analyzes the importance of the implementation of universal healthcare in the US moving forward, for better enjoyment of the rights to health and life. It is concluded that in order to mitigate a crisis of this magnitude and create an equal, non-discriminatory, and inclusive institution surrounding health that protects life, universal healthcare reform in the US is necessary.