Impact of COVID-19 on Rich and Poor: A Critical Analysis

This article critically analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on both rich and poor people, highlighting the disparities in health facilities and exposure to health hazards. It discusses the statement by Zarkov and provides a social work perspective on the relevance of this issue. The article concludes that the pandemic has disproportionately affected the poor.

Introduction:
Here, in present article, it has been critiqued that covid 19 has affected both rich and
poor people in same way. This is because some people are saying that pandemic has affected
both in similar way. But it is not true as according to Zarkov, only the poor and unhealthy people
are getting affected due to coronavirus as it is found that poor people are more affected as
compared to rioch people. This is because rich countries are having better health facilities as
compared to poor one. Similarly, poor people are exposed to health hazards more than rich.
The world is facing Covid-19 pandemic and alongside its consequences since the
beginning of 2020. There has been lots of life loss, livelihood crisis and health crisis.Rich people
are easily getting away due to having strong financial support. Reference to this, the author has
shown his grievances by pouring a statement of which the critical review will be done.
Discussion:
Critical analysis of Zarkov’s Statement:
Exposure to the outbreak of this has affected poor people who were not able to protect
themselves from this virus. This is because for fulfilling their basic needs such as hunger they
have to move from one place to another as it happened in India. So the possibilities of death in
poor people is a way much greater than the rich and privileged people (Bowleg,2020). Zarkove
stated that main victim of coronavirus or COVID-19 has been the people who are fighting with
this pandemic is frontline workers who are doctor, serviceman, health employees, sweepers,
maids, ambulance driver, nurses in hospitals. It is because as stated by Zarkov, they are those
who are treating people suffering from virus and saving their life. So, they are serving rich
people as compared to poor people. Along with that major population of the people who are
economically weak has suffered the most. Whereas few rich and wealthy people are been tested
positive to coronavirus (Javed, Bukht, & Javaid, 2020).But there are other author or journalist
who is deferring their outlook about this pandemic about the section of people who are getting
affected. Some of the journalist and health expert is saying every section of people in the society
are getting affected by coronavirus no matter if they are rich or poor.

As said by (Zarkov, 2020) even if the rich people get affected to this virus, they have their
financial resource in order to get expensive treatment from renowned hospitals and Health
Organization which the poor people and all the middle-class people cannot afford. We can say
the rich people are in better protection and prevention scenario, which a poor is not but if it is
stated that rich people are totally out of radar from coronavirus outbreak, then that wouldnot be a
critically appropriate statement. The labourers, workers, refugees, beggars, street vendors,
retailers, hospitality businessmen, individual or family businessperson, fast food shop workers,
salon employees are preceding towards the virus effect and similarly are going away far from the
health care facilities. Zarkove critizued that the poor people living anywhere in the globe are
among the ones that are mostly discriminated on the basis of their gender, race, religion or ethics
(Zarkov,2020). There are also people who do not have legal citizenship with them. They are
migrants with no documents, expectant from the asylum. There are then families that have one or
no earning members and has small children and old parents at their houses.Therich people, state
heads or celebrities, on the other hand, stay in protected areas. Rich people do not need to rush to
their workplace every day. They do not need to visit the market to buy essentials, as another poor
is risking his or her lives to fulfil their needs. They get the best facilities of private hospitals, with
doctors attending them all the time. They get a good diet which the poor has been deprived of
ever since their birth (Hiscott & Zevini, 2020).
Relevance In Social Work Practice:
The COVID-19 attacks a person irrespective of their economic, political or social
standards. The question still persists that do all heads undergo similar effects of Covid-19?
According to Zarkov 2020, “Whoever said that Covid-19 is a great equalizer- that it affects
celebrities, heads of states and common people alike is either brain-dead or privileged beyond
belief or both.” The explanation for this is quite simple (Laborde, Martin, & Vos, 2020). The
developed or so-called rich countries have a better health facility. Very similarly, a rich man also
has a better health picture and the chances of survival increments greatly for them. According to
the report of World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2019 on workforce and gender of 104
countries, the maximum number of nurses and social care staff are women (70%).

Conclusion
From above it can be summarised that pandemic has not affected rich and poor in same
way. It is found that poor are highy impacted due to virus as compared to rich. For poor situation
has become worse and they are dying every day out of coronavirus in large number.

References
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