• Charles A Odonkor, Maurice G Sholas, Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, Ross D Zafonte, and Julie K Silver.
• From the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Division of Physiatry, Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (CAO); Sholas Medical Consulting, LLC, New Orleans, Louisiana (MGS); Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, Texas (MV-G); Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (RDZ, JKS); Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (RDZ, JKS); and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (RDZ, JKS).
• Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2020 Nov 1; 99 (11): 986-987.

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 is a novel and highly contagious coronavirus that has been a major threat to the public's health. As the pandemic has spread across the United States, it has become abundantly clear that vulnerable populations include not only the elderly and individuals with disabilities but also those who are homeless or incarcerated, Latinx Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans. This report is focused on the experience of Black patients, inclusive of African Americans, and recognizes the higher morbidity and mortality in this population. Physiatrists can provide care for the sequelae faced by survivors and prioritize rehabilitation services. Programs must be administered in a way that is geographically accessible to Black communities and demonstrate cultural competence. Future research should focus on the social determinants of health to better understand at-risk populations and improve outcomes.

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