Of North Carolinians, 38% of the black population has either caught COVID-19 or died from the virus. Many black communities in the state don't understand the importance of social distancing. | Pixabay
Of North Carolinians, 38% of the black population has either caught COVID-19 or died from the virus. Many black communities in the state don't understand the importance of social distancing. | Pixabay
In North Carolina, almost 40% of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths are among blacks, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Across the nation, states have been providing more detail about coronavirus cases, including its impact on different races. An alarming figure has been the number of blacks and other minority groups with coronavirus compared to their population percentage.
Blacks or African Americans represent approximately 22% of North Carolina's population, according to the Census Bureau figures, however of the state's population, 39% of those who have COVID-19 cases or died from the virus were black, the Citizen-Times reported on April 14.
“This public health crisis is highlighting the deep structural inequity that exists in our country as a result of racism that puts blacks more at risk of getting sick and dying of COVID-19,” Jennifer Mullendore, interim health director at Buncombe County Health and Human Services, said during an April public briefing the publication reported. “We are working with leaders in the local black community to get the message out about the impact of COVID-19 and to help answer questions from the community about how they can reduce their risk and stay safe.”
Black Americans are likely to have higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and other health issues, Mullendore said, according to the publication, making the population group more susceptible to being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19.
“Institutionalized racism is going to factor into the daily stress levels,” Kathey Avery, registered nurse and owner of an Asheville-based health consulting firm, told Citizen-Times. “You've got diet. You've got a lack of exercise. You've got racism, all rolled up in a nice little ribbon just waiting for COVID-19 to show up. Of course, then it's going to be disproportion how it effects.”
Black communities in Asheville tend to have a harder time social distancing as well. Layouts of housing developments don't help with social distancing, Gene Bell, former head of the Asheville Housing Authority, told Citizen-Times.
“Some of my customers, what I'm hearing back is they don't really know the value of keeping social distance,” Rod Conley of Kings and Queens Hair Studio said on a WRES-LP radio panel, the publication reported. “Even some areas where they are, they were saying it was hard to social distance giving their living situation.”
But Lakesha McDay, human resources director at Dogwood Health Trust and WRES-LP radio panel moderator, said she knows the black community is one of the first to feel the effects of unprecedented times.
“We recognize that when we get into unprecedented and unique times, that our community is one of the first to fall through the cracks,” McDay said on WRES-LP the publication reported. “We want to really ensure that we are getting honest and real information because we know when we learn and when we have the information, that we will make every attempt to do better."
On the panel Dionne Greenlee-Jones, resource development manager for United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, recommended the NC 211 call center as a way to offer information to black residents during the community.
The call center can help residents with basic needs, health care and rent payments, Greenlee-Jones said on WRES-LP.
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