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In New Orleans, African American communities were not only hit hard by Katrina's floods, but also by violent policing during the catastrophe and a disaster "recovery" effort that was fundamentally Anti-Black (closing of publich housing and the privatization of schools and health care). Recovery efforts were not organized along ideals of racial justice that would have addressed gaps in educational and health care resources. Instead, they were imagined along neoliberal principles that systematically excluded the city's Black population. I am interested in looking into how the Anti-Blackness of Katrina "recovery" set the stage for the virulent way COVID 19 is affecting New Orleans' African American communities.

In the US Virgin Islands, Hurricanes Maria and Irma decimated what were already decrepit public school and public health systems. Public schools and hospitals had not been property repaired and remained under-supported as of early March 2020. In places like the Island of St. Croix, residents reported the hospital having only one physicial on staff, and indicated fear of misdiagnosis and prolonged waiting times kept them from seeking health care there. The clientelle of the public health system is predominantly Afro and Hispanic Caribbean. Meanwhile, US "mainlanders" (who are predominantly white) are reported to seek their healthcare off island, something only those with ample financial resources can do. Infection rates and fatality rates for the USVI seem rather low from official reports, but it is important to find out if this is because testing itself is not readily avialable in the territory.

Media coverage from hard-hit cities suggests there is a disproportionate number of arrests and citations related to enforcement of social distancing among racial minorities.

Also, police response seems to have followed very different patterns in the case of "re-open" protests and anti-police brutality protests.

The NYS Ebola Preparedness Plan was criticized by the public and other agencies, primarily for its strict quarantine protocols, which have been called "overzealous" by some. In addition, the policy was criticized for its inconsistency with Federal and international guidelines which may have created confusion for the public.

Dr. Emily Goldmann, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Research Professor of Global Public Health at New York University's College of Global Public Health. She received her Master's and Doctorate's degrees in epidemiology from the University of Michigan. She has worked as an epidemiologist at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the Bureau of Adult Mental Health, where she conducted surveillance of psychological distress, serious mental illness, and psychiatric hospitalization among New Yorkers and assisted in designing and implementing a study of patients for psychiatric illness following Hurricane Sandy.

Dr. Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH, is a physician and epidemiologist. He is also the Robert A. Knox Professor and Dean at the Boston University School of Public Health. He has also previously held academic and leadership positions at the University of Michigan and at the New York Academy of Medicine. He has been involved in numerous research efforts and publications. His research focuses on the social production of health in urban populations, with a focus on brain disorders, mood-anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. He also maintains a strong interest in the consequences of mass trauma and conflict worldwide, including as a result of the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

This research article was authored by Dr. Vincanne Adams, Dr. Diana English, and Taslim Van Hattum who are professors and researchers at the University of California at San Francisco's Department of Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine. All three authors have been extensively involved in research in their respective fields and have authored numerous publications.