Moira Wyton for The Tyee writes, “COVID-19 is proving particularly perilous for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals who face both greater physical risks and increasing isolation. “With COVID obviously comes an innate demographic vulnerability for certain oppressed peoples,” said Miranda Schreiber, a researcher for postgraduate medical education at the University of Toronto.
“It leaves queer Canadians and people of colour particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of COVID and of social isolation.” Systemic barriers and discrimination in the health-care system mean many more LGBTQIA2S+ individuals have underlying health conditions like heart disease or asthma that increase their risk of serious illness if they’re infected. And a lack of knowledge among health-care providers about caring for the population often widens the health gap between queer individuals and the general population, particularly for racialized LGBTQIA2S+ people.”
