According to new statistics, Black Americans in some major cities are dying of coronavirus at much higher rates compared to other Americans. As coronavirus related deaths rapidly increase in cities with significant black populations, including New Orleans, Detroit, and New York, health officials fear that COVID-19 will further widen existing gaps in healthcare.
A recent New York Times article painted a clear picture of the racial disparities among COVID-19 victims. The article claimed that in Milwaukee County, black Americans only represent a quarter of the population, but they make up almost half of the coronavirus cases in the county and 70% of related deaths. In Michigan, 14% of the population is black, but they disproportionately make up 33% of coronavirus cases and 41% of the related deaths in the state. Black Americans in Chicago are being hit hard by the deadly virus. In Chicago, only a third of the population is black, but black Americans make up half of all of the cases in the city and 70% of the related deaths.
President Trump, in a recent White House briefing, discussed the racial disparities among coronavirus victims. “We want to find the reason [for] it,” Trump said.
The reasons are quite apparent, and they lay in the structural inequalities of American society. We should not be surprised that communities who have a lack of access to healthcare, nutritious food, decent-earning jobs, and secure housing are being hit the hardest by the COVID-19 virus.
“The truth is that in so many ways, the negative effects of coronavirus, the pain it’s causing, the death it’s causing, tracks with other profound health care disparities that we have seen for years,” Bill De Blasio, the current mayor of New York City, said in a USA Today article.
Chief Health Equity Officer at the American Medical Association, Aletha Maybank, shared her worries that COVID-19 will further widen existing gaps in health care. “Those most marginalized, such as communities of color, may not have the same access to testing as others,” Maybank explained. “This is a recipe for undercounting.”
Black community activists have drawn attention to the “enduring issues of trust between Black Americans and the healthcare system, as well as poor messaging and resources.” These are likely contributing factors to the racial disparity among COVID-19 victims. Distrust in the healthcare system, underlying medical conditions, and lack of access to affordable healthcare put Black Americans at greater risk.
Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio, suggested that we implement a plan to improve minority community awareness of the coronavirus, increase preventive measures, and boost the availability of health care. An effective plan to fight COVID-19 must be shaped by an understanding of how it spreads and impacts marginalized communities. If we ignore structural and racial inequalities, we will ultimately increase the burden of the virus for everyone and ethnic communities will continue to die at higher rates than others.
