Covid-19 and Race

Why is Covid-19 hitting minorities hard? We look at the issues.

Are learning more and more about covid-19.

They are trying to piece together trends and places where they are seeing an increase of cases.

News 12's danielle moss took a look at the rise of cases in the african-american community.

As coronavirus totals increase daily, we are beginning to see a disparity in how african-american patients are suffering from the virus.

Dr. anthony fauci / director, national institute of allergy and infectious diseases- "it's not that they're getting infected, more often is that when they do get infected their underlying medical conditions, the diabetes, the hypertension, the obesity, the asthma.

Those are the kind of things that wind them up in the icu and ultimately give them a higher death rate."

Dan stand-" as of thursday, 668 cases of the coronavirus in tennessee are attributed to african-americans.

Thats about 14 percent of the total number of cases."

That's in line with state demographics where african americans make up 16 to 17 percent of the population.

But the numbers skew wildly in other parts of the country.

Dr. toombs-withers is a family medicine physician at the essence of health wellness clinic.

She says that lack of healthcare access may be one of the many problems. dr. shayla toombs-withers/ essence of health wellness clinic- "we see in persons of color tend to live in large family units.

You don't know if those people may be infected.

And then having that lack of access to care, they're not likely to get help, so they are more critically ill."

Another underlying issue, lack of trust.

Dr. shayla toombs-withers/ essence of health wellness clinic- "things that were done to people of color in history that has promoted this distrust so rightfully, people of color will have this distrust.."

The unity group of chattanooga have been advocates for the black community to do their part and stay apart.

Charlotte snn williams/unity group of chattanooga - "it is very imperative, and we got to get away from the notion or myth that uh, that we don't catch the coronavirus, we've got to get away from that because the numbers speak otherwise."

This week is expected to be dire, when it comes to coronavirus.

"i do feel that our community should be educated and know that this virus is real.

It affects people of all ages, all races and all socioeconmic background and so you know it does effect everyone."

In chattanooga, danielle moss news 12 now.

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