The damages of COVID-19 for everyone are no more a secret. While everyone is struggling with the anxiety and frustration caused by the pandemic, the COVID-19 for transgenders is devastating especially in terms of their mental health.
Although the virus is still not completely studied which is why it is hard to explain why some people are at most risk. The health experts have identified some high-risk groups for contracting the virus which includes people with underlying medical conditions and older people mainly. However, it may not need any research to identify how this COVID-19 pandemic is worst for transgenders.
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The pandemic linked mental stress is highest in the LGBTQ community mainly for the social stigma attached to their sexual orientation and choices. The researchers from the Williams Institute worked on finding the socioeconomic reasons which make this community more susceptible to get the disease. Here is the link to this study.
Jody L. Herman the lead author of this study says that not just the age and health of a person but also the economic conditions increase his risk of physical and mental stress especially related to the on-going pandemic.
Transgenders are mainly affected by being rejected from society as many groups still don’t consider them as a functional part of society. For this reason, they are more affected by socioeconomic factors such as poverty, employment opportunities, lack of healthcare facilities, rejection from health insurance, and others which increases their vulnerability for the COVID-19.
This study overlooked more than 320,000 transgender people from different parts of the US all of which are highly likely to get the virus. This number may not even be that half of the total number of transgenders in the US but it includes those which have confirmed underlying condition implying that they are highly vulnerable to the pandemic. In case they are infected, they are more likely to suffer from complications and maybe a high risk of death for the unexplained discriminatory behavior towards them.
This figure doesn’t represent a complete picture of why COVID-19 for transgenders is a big risk but it gives some idea about the problems that they may be facing. It also applies to the risk of other diseases in addition to the COVID-19.
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Herman added that to understand why it is hard for the transgender to receive the medical attention and healthcare that they deserve, people need to be more compassionate towards them. Accepting them as a functional part of society would be the first step to acknowledge their existence. Changing the healthcare policies and making healthcare more available and easier to access is another thing that the state and the federal government can do.
Most companies in the US offer partial or complete health insurance for their employees. It is also a part of their basic package which is available for all of them. But transgenders are not likely to get job opportunities like other people. They are also most likely to get rejected for health insurance which is why the COVID-19 for transgenders is probably the worst.
