By Marie Y. Lemelle Contributing Writer
A group of experts in the fields of health, caregiving, financial security and entrepreneurship gathered for a webinar in Washington, D.C., April 14 called to help the black community navigate through the era of the coronavirus.
AARP, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people to choose how they live as they age, partnered with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a trade association consisting of more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers across the country, to share current information and trusted resources.
“For more than 60 years, AARP has been working to promote the health and well-being of older Americans. In the face of coronavirus, we are continuing to provide information and resources,” said Shani Hosten, AARP vice president of multicultural leadership for the African American Audience. AARP has a website, aarp.org/coronavirus , packed with information and tips about how to avoid the spread of the virus. For information in Spanish, go to aarp.org/espanol
Statistics say that Blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately at risk to die from COVID-19. "The data is clear and has been clear for decades: African Americans, Latinos and other minority groups live sicker and die younger,” says Stephen Thomas, professor of health policy and management and director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
"African Americans and Latinos and other minority groups are the ones out there in the warehouse, emptying food trucks, delivering your Grubhub or Uber Eats. They're out there at risk” for catching the coronavirus, Thomas says.
“We have the highest rate of fatalities because we have these underlying pre-existing health conditions which makes us more vulnerable to the virus and we want to advocate on behalf of our community,” said Ben Chavis, president and CEO of the NNPA.
“Health disparities have always existed for the African-American community,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, an American physician and immunologist who is a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. According to local statistics, black people make up 9% of the population of Los Angeles County, yet 17% of coronavirus-related deaths are African Americans.
“This data is preliminary because fully 43% of the people who passed we do not yet have information on their race and ethnicity and are working hard to be able to complete those records,” said Barbara Ferrer, public health director for Los Angeles County. “The death toll for L.A. County is 402.”
Data from other states also reflect high numbers of Blacks dying from COVID-19 related deaths. In Louisiana, 59.29% of COVID-19 deaths are Black. In Maryland, 40% of those who died from coronavirus are Black. It’s 70% in Illinois and 40% in Michigan. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio reported that 28% of deaths there are Black people.
Why are hypertension, diabetes, obesity, asthma and other chronic lung disorders make individuals more susceptible to COVID-19?
“High blood sugar known as diabetes can damage the body’s blood vessels,” said George Rutherford, a physician and epidemiologist at UC San Francisco. “Damaged blood vessels can compromise an individual’s lung function, which could make a person with a respiratory infection like COVID-19 more susceptible to complications.” Stephen Kopecky, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, said, “when someone with those conditions gets an infection, it can do a double whammy."
“In the case of the coronavirus, the infection could affect the heart and the lungs,” he added. “The heart muscle may have to work harder because the lungs, which are primarily affected by the virus, may not be able to get enough oxygen to the heart.”
The connection with asthma and the coronavirus is the likelihood of life-threatening symptoms are compounded since asthmatics already have difficulty breathing. Dr. Hansa D. Bharga confirmed that children who have asthma have more severe symptoms of any respiratory infection, including COVID-19.
“Disruption of the immune system can make patients with obesity more susceptible to infections, contribute to more severe symptoms, and delay recovery time,” said Dr. Harold Edward Bay. “Patients with obesity are at increased risk for adverse outcomes from viral upper respiratory tract infections.”
Keep in mind that pregnant women and children under 5 years old are also at risk, whether they have medical conditions or not.
While health experts have stated that people over 50 are at a higher risk, don’t forget that the underlying chronic issues — hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and asthma — are not age specific. That means, anyone, any gender, at any age diagnosed with any of those conditions is a high-risk individual.
The concerning factor is that many people, especially in black communities, have not been diagnosed for these co-morbidities, mainly due to disparities in health care and equality to medical care.
“African Americans have disproportionately high rates of maternal death, low levels of access to medical care and higher rates of asthma,” said Dr. Camara Jones, a family physician, epidemiologist and visiting fellow at Harvard University.
Those who are homeless and incarcerated may have no idea of their chronic illness or have the tools to protect themselves. How can the curve be flattened if you leave out vulnerable and forgotten populations?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has set up temporary tent city in Los Angeles to provide shelter for homeless veterans. The city of Los Angeles has boosted coronavirus testing on Skid Row and provided outdoor hand-washing stations and bathrooms. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority secured 15,000 hotel rooms for some of the 60,000 people living on the street.
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