Kenny McMorris MPA, FACHE, CHCEF
As we continue to learn more about the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the virus is exploiting existing fissures in American life and exposing longstanding racial and economic inequality in our communities.
While all Americans are vulnerable to infection by the virus, data shows that African Americans are especially susceptible to contracting the virus and experiencing severe symptoms. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 33% of people who’ve been hospitalized with COVID-19 are African American, yet only 13% of the U.S. population is African American. At the time of this writing, in Douglas County African Americans accounted for 21.5% of total confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, despite making up only 11% of the county’s total population.
This data may be a surprise to some, but the underlying causes are the same social drivers (determinants) of health that have faced our community for decades. Institutional racism, poverty (and the toxic stress it frequently causes), unsafe housing, food deserts, and a lack of access to quality, affordable health care, have created widespread health disparities in America, especially when it comes to chronic conditions.
African-Americans are much more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure – and these underlying conditions make us more susceptible to the potentially fatal impact of COVID-19. Dr. James Hildreth, President and CEO of Meharry Medical College, says “it all relates to the social constructs that make it more difficult for African Americans to achieve health equity. We live in food deserts, we live in small spaces with lots of people, and that promotes virus spread. People are uninsured, and if you’re uninsured, you’re less likely to seek medical attention until your disease is quite advanced.”
In order to control the virus, we must have a clear understanding of its prevalence in our community and be able to identify and isolate infected individuals. This requires widespread testing and tracing the contacts of positive cases. As the largest provider of primary integrated health care in North Omaha, CDHC is on the frontlines of preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We are currently providing testing at our main health center location, 2915 Grant St., and 30 Metro located at 5319 N. 30th St. to individuals who meet the CDC recommendation for priority population testing and are presenting with signs and symptoms. In addition, we believe that providing testing to asymptomatic individuals in order to better understand incidence of COVID-19 in our community and identify any potential hotspots is essential in reducing the spread of the virus
However, our resources are limited. Charles Drew Health Center’s capacity to test far exceeds our access to the necessary testing supplies. Our staff is bravely serving on the frontlines, risking their health and safety to serve the greater community, but we are limited by a continued shortage of available testing and personal protective equipment. We must do more as a community, state, and nation to make sure that our health care professionals have access to the necessary resources to do their job and serve our communities.
We need your help as well. It is essential that you continue to reinforce the importance of measures that all people can take to help prevent the spread of the virus, such as personal distancing at a minimum six feet, proper handwashing at least twenty seconds, avoiding large crowds, wearing a cloth facial covering and above all stay home, stay safe, stay informed.
I continue to be inspired by our community’s response and I know that we will emerge from this stronger than ever. Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. has always been committed to the ongoing health and well-being of our patients, employees, and the community we serve. In addition to following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and maintaining standard infection control best practices, we are working proactively with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Health Department, and countless partner organizations to monitor, stay informed and keep our community safe and healthy. If you believe you may be suffering from symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, or shortness of breath, please call us at (402) 451-3553.
We have long known that when it comes to health outcomes in America, inequalities have persisted along racial lines. The recent coronavirus pandemic has shined an ugly light on these disparities as severe cases of COVID 19, the illness caused by the virus, are disproportionately affecting African American communities at a higher rate.
Why is this?
Older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. African-Americans, in particular, are much more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure– and these underlying conditions place us at a much higher risk of requiring hospitalization, or dying, from COVID-19. Data from cities with large African American populations, such as New Orleans, Detroit, and Milwaukee, continue to show much higher mortality rates among black and brown patients from COVID-19 than their white counterparts. In Chicago, where black residents make up approximately 29% of the city’s population, they account for 72% of the city’s COVID-19 deaths. While much is still unknown about the virus, it has become increasingly clear that it is impacting many vulnerable segments of our society. However, in America, that vulnerability is highly intersected with race and poverty.
Recently Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health stated that African Americans do not appear to be at greater risk of becoming infected. However, structural inequalities often place us in the middle of the virus’ crosshairs. While many Americans have the privilege of working remotely throughout the crisis, African Americans are more likely to be designated “essential workers”, reporting for work day after day at lower wage jobs that often require a large degree of human interaction, placing us at a higher risk of coming into contact with someone who may be carrying the virus even if they may not be showing symptoms. In a recent report published by the Economic Policy Institute “less than one in five Black workers and roughly one in six Hispanic workers are able to work from home.”
So what steps should we take to stay safe and avoid further spread of the virus? The following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following steps:
Know How It Spreads
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person between people who are in close contact with one another (within six feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
Clean Your Hands Often
Wash often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid Close Contact
Avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home as much as possible and avoid large groups, and put distance between yourself and other people.
Cover Your Mouth and Nose
Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others. You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick. Everyone should wear a face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.
Cover Coughs and Sneezes:
Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
While this may be a time of high anxiety, we are here to serve you. I am confident that we will get through this together and emerge stronger as a community. Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. has always been committed to the ongoing health and well-being of our patients, employees, and the community we serve. In addition to following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and maintaining standard infection control best practices, we are working proactively with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Health Department, and countless partner organizations to monitor, stay informed and keep our community safe and healthy. If you believe you may be suffering from symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, or shortness of breath, please call us at 402-451-3553.
As businesses and restaurants begin to re-open, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security and the feeling that things have somehow returned to normal, or at least as close to normal as we can get during these uncertain times. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. While the State of Nebraska has relaxed some of its restrictions, cases continue to rise throughout the State and within the Omaha Metro Area. In fact, in recent weeks, Nebraska has experienced one of the largest percentage increases of new cases of COVID-19 of any state in the country.
We also continue to see disturbing trends with respect to disproportionate incidents and severity of symptoms of COVID-19 among racial minorities. Nationally, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals African Americans comprise 28 percent of the nation’s 1.5 million COVID cases and 21 percent of fatalities—more than double their percentage of the nation’s population. The conditions in which people live, learn and work contribute to their health. These conditions, over time lead to different levels of health risks, needs and outcomes among some racial and ethnic minority groups. In a public health emergency such as COVID-19, these conditions can also isolate people from the resources they need to prepare for and respond to an outbreak. Institutional racism, poverty (and the toxic stress it frequently causes), unsafe housing, food deserts, and a lack of access to quality, affordable health care, have created widespread health disparities in America, especially when it comes to chronic conditions.
As cases continue to rise, it’s more important than ever that we increase our testing capacity of both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, especially those representing minority groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19. As the largest provider of primary integrated health care in North Omaha, Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. (CDHC) is on the frontlines of preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We are currently providing testing to individuals who meet the CDC recommendation for priority population testing and are presenting with signs and symptoms. In addition, we believe that providing testing to asymptomatic individuals in order to better understand incidence of COVID-19 in our community and proactively identify any potential hotspots is essential in reducing the spread of the virus.
The healthcare professionals at CDHC are doing everything we can to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our community, but we cannot do it alone. In order to eradicate the virus, it is going to take all of us working together improving day to day life and harnessing the strengths of our collective neighborhoods to prioritize resources and reduce barriers to care and support.
Unfortunately, it is likely that we will see an increase in local cases in future weeks as our current trajectory continues, boosted by new cases of community spread resulting from relaxed restrictions. It has never been more important for us to take of this moment and do our part in preventing the spread of the virus. This includes personal distancing at a minimum six feet, proper hand washing for at least twenty seconds, avoiding large crowds, wearing a cloth facial covering when in public and above all staying home, safe, and informed.
Now more than ever, I am so grateful to everyone that has supported Charles Drew over the years, helping us to grow into the full service health center we are today and empowering us to meet the medical, dental, behavioral health, and wellness needs of thousands of men, women and children in the Omaha metropolitan area. In addition to following CDC guidelines and maintaining standard infection control best practices, we are working proactively with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Health Department, and countless partner organizations to monitor, stay informed and keep our community safe and healthy. If you believe you may be suffering from symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, or shortness of breath, please call us at (402) 451-3553.