According to Duke experts Dr. Oluwadamilola “Lola” Fayanju and Dr. Kevin Thomas, COVID-19 has shone a stark light on America’s economic and racial health disparities, proving there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to test and treat people for the disease.

The pandemic has illuminated the struggles minority populations have in obtaining good information, getting tested, and finding help when infected. But the two health experts say there are ways to improve the situation.

Drs. Thomas and Fayanju took questions from media members on July 9, 2020.

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Dr. Oluwadamilola “Lola” Fayanju is an assistant professor of surgery and population health sciences in the Duke School of Medicine, director of the Durham VA Breast Clinic, and associate director for disparities and value in health care with Duke Forge, the university’s center for data science. Her research includes variants of breast cancer that are often more common among racial and ethnic minorities.

Dr. Kevin Thomas is an associate professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease at the Duke School of Medicine, where he is also assistant dean for underrepresented faculty development and co-director of the Duke Health Disparities Research Curriculum. Thomas is also director of health disparities research and faculty diversity at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

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This video is part of a series of media briefings where Duke experts speak on the issues that are driving both national, state, and local campaigns during #Election2020

Media Briefings Playlist ➡ http://duke.is/RA7pNR

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A private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is known as one of the world’s leading institutions for education, research, and patient care.

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