UK coronavirus: The pandemic is revealing how badly the government has failed its most vulnerable

London CNN — As the novel coronavirus rips through a stunned global population, it’s becoming clear that no one can escape the impact it’s having on society. “People with mental health problems, single mothers, disabled people … these people are all overrepresented in food banks,” says Lemon. Dr. Onkar Sahota, a member of the London Assembly and a family doctor in Britain’s National Health Service, says that “those in poverty are exposed because, in many cases, their underlying health will not be as good as wealthier members of the population.” In the context of coronavirus, he says “their immune systems might be lower because they have less access to foods and find it harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle.” Sahota goes on to explain that in some cases, the most vulnerable “will find it harder to self-isolate – especially in the case of homeless people.” Matt Downie, director of policy for Crisis, a charity on the frontline of homelessness in Britain, explains: “If you are in a night shelter, you are in a shared space, possibly sleeping next to other people on the floor, where you have to share washing facilities. “This coronavirus exposes the cracks in society – those who have mortgages and regular income could suddenly find themselves facing the same problems as people who are on benefits,” says Sahota. “People on average incomes, who suddenly find themselves in a position of needing social security, couldn’t conceive on living on under £100 a week,” she says.