Scientific American - USA (2020-12)

10 Scientific American, December 2020

LETTERS

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ESTABLISHED 1845

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EDITORIAL Gareth Cook, Katherine Harmon Courage, Lydia Denworth,

Ferris Jabr, Anna Kuchment, Robin Lloyd, Melinda Wenner Moyer,

George Musser, Ricki L. Rusting, Dava Sobel, Claudia Wallis

ART Edward Bell, Zoë Christie, Lawrence R. Gendron, Nick Higgins, Katie Peek, Beatrix Mahd Soltani

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Laura Helmuth

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sugar-laden foods and drinks—which has
led to disproportionate rates of type  2 dia-
betes. All these factors affect how Black and
brown people are impacted by SARS-CoV-2,
the virus that causes COVID-19.
I would love to see a recurring section
of Scientific American that would analyze
what information is available to doctors
and scientists around the world pertain-
ing to health consequences for Black and
brown people. For example, you could ex-
amine the role that thrombosis plays in
COVID-19 in this population and explain
why, for many Black and brown individu-
als, the disease is vascular in nature rath-
er than respiratory.
I concur that there will be another pan-
demic. And if all lives truly matter, address-
ing the science behind why COVID-19 is dis-
proportionately affecting those of us in
Black and brown communities will be one
of the first steps in finding how to fix it and
other ailments through the art of science.
Imagine the impact an ongoing publication
highlighting concurrent sociological and bi-
ological research on this population would
have 20 years from now. And for those who
don’t care about the actual people being af-
fected and whose primary concern is the
impact on the economy, such information
would inform how to keep businesses open
and staffed with healthy employees because
the frontline workers come predominantly
from these communities.
Kelly Ector via e-mail

THE WAY I WALK

“Step Spy,” by Sophie Bushwick [Advanc-

es; July 2020], reports on sensors that

identify people by their walking gait,

which is unique for each person. I had to

laugh when I read the article! I am now 77

years old. When I was seven, my mother

went out one day to visit a neighbor in our

building. She told me not to answer the

door to anyone but her. I was to make ab-

solutely sure it was her before I answered

the door. An hour later I heard her come

down the stairs and approach the door, so

I opened it. Of course, I was punished—

despite insisting that I did know it was her

because I recognized her gait.

I can’t undo the spanking I got, but

after 70 years it feels good to be vindicat-

ed at last.

Judy Anderson via e-mail