Ultimately, the discovery that race doesn't impact survival in a clinical setting is a testament to the efficacy of standardized care, but it also serves as a stark reminder that the battle for health equity is won or lost long before a patient ever reaches the hospital doors.

Multiple studies indicated that when Black and white patients were admitted with similar clinical presentations and comorbidities, their risk of dying in the hospital was nearly identical. For many researchers, this suggested that the quality of care provided within the four walls of the hospital was equitable. When clinicians followed standardized protocols for oxygen, steroids, and intubation, the biological "outcome" for the virus did not discriminate by skin color. This served as a rare point of institutional optimism, suggesting that hospital medicine could act as a "great equalizer" if access was guaranteed. The "Access" Mirage

The Equalizer? Race and Survival in the COVID-19 Hospital Ward