Published on April 7, 2020
Preliminary demographic data – where available — and early anecdotal evidence suggest that poor African-Americans are contracting and dying from the coronavirus in disproportionate rates.
In the state of Michigan, while blacks represent only 12% of the total population, they account for at least 40% of its coronavirus-related deaths, said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
“We know viruses do not discriminate based on location, race, ethnicity or national origin,” said Jimena Loveluck, health officer at the Washtenaw County Health Department. “However, viruses like COVID-19 can highlight health disparities that are deeply rooted in our society. There is no question that the COVID-19 outbreak is having a more significant impact on marginalized and poorer communities, particularly communities of color.”
Stephen Hawes, an epidemiology professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health, suggested that another reason for high rates of infection relates to the fact that “African Americans and other under-served groups have less access to testing and/or present with more severe disease, again putting them at higher risk for death due to COVID.”
Continue reading at the International Business Times.
Originally written by Palash Ghosh for the International Business Times.