Are African Americans More Susceptible To COVID-19?

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) The Kansas Department of Health and Environment recently began breaking down COVID-19 cases into categories, including race and ethnicity. The state's numbers mirror results in other places across the U.S.: African Americans hold the highest projected rate of infection and death, with the death rate about 10 times higher than any other race.

Last week, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams explained the alarming trend supported in Kansas by the recent breakdown of cases.

Monday, Eyewitness News addressed the numbers with Dr. Maurice Duggins, a family practice physician in Wichita. Duggins says statistically, African Americans have more preexisting health issues that could make fighting COVID-19 more difficult.

"The fact that you have diabetes and you are immunocompromised, have asthma or hypertension or some of the things that (Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci) had mentioned, then you are at a huge risk of COVID-19," Dr. Duggins says.

Those are all issues most prevalent in minority communities, health officials say.

"The numbers are basically saying that the rate of African Americans in terms of death is much higher, even here in Kansas compared to what we would expect," Dr. Duggins says.

There is more at play than just physical health issues, Dr. Duggins says. Spreading the virus among a smaller population is one of the largest factors.

"We think about determinants of health. What determines health in general?" Dr. Duggins says.

Dr. Michelle Redmond, an assistant professor of population health with the KU School of Medicine in Wichita, says social factors such as employment, housing, and even access to healthcare play parts in fighting the spread of COVID-19. She says these factors will remain a problem when the pandemic ends.

Dr. Redmond poses the question: "What do we do after this to make sure for African Americans or any group with a disparity that they can have access and that they can be health?"

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