It seemed like just a few weeks ago and there were rumors, posts, and Tweets alleging how Black folks may be immune to the coronavirus. What was actually occurring was the lack of news media presenting the Black victims to viewers.
When Idris Elba announced he had COVID-19, the tables turned. Some of the most notable Blacks to announce publicly their positive test result are 11-NBA players. The myth is now destroyed; Black people can, will, and have contracted COVID-19.
As the virus works its way across the country, we can expect low income communities, particularly Black ones, to be hit hard. We have the highest rate of chronic illnesses thanks in part to existing where polluters roam freely. Many children have consumed high levels of lead but have never been diagnosed as such. You are hard pressed to not find a young person who doesn’t have asthma. Infant mortality is high and life expectancy is low. Coronavirus seems to thrive in environments like this.
The City Health Commissioner of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jeanette Kowalik announced on Monday…
…many of the new COVID-19 cases they were seeing for the coronavirus were in middle-aged African American men.
The first three Milwaukee patients reported to have died after contracting coronavirus were all African American men between the ages of 50 and 70.
All of the patients had underlying conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart problems.
Milwaukee also suffers from high infant mortality, and childhood lead poisoning which makes their population of Blacks so vulnerable.
Sound familiar, Chester?
Black Covid-19 