By: Debbie Wallace Adjunct Assistant Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine
COVID-19 is a novel virus, and at first, public health professionals were not collecting national data about the demographics of those being affected. Now states are reporting their demographic data. In Louisiana, they found that African Americans accounted for 70% of all COVID-19 deaths but only comprise 33% of the population. In Michigan, African Americans comprised 14% of the population but 40% of deaths. In New York, Blacks are twice as likely as whites to die from COVID-19. Predominately Black US Counties are experiencing 3 times higher infection rates and 6 times higher death rate than predominantly white counties. The fact is that statistics show that African Americans have higher rates of diseases like hypertension and diabetes, which are tied to COVID-19 complications.
African Americans also have less access to healthcare and therefore are more likely to be diagnosed later. They also tend to be more mobile, changing where they reside, which may be linked to employment, and also more likely to be employed without having any health insurance benefits. As a result, they are also less likely to have a primary healthcare provider which is important in helping you navigate the healthcare system. African Americans are therefore more likely to have multiple health conditions that often are not diagnosed or not under proper control. The choice they must often face is providing basic needs for their family or purchasing medicines without health insurance. So does this mean that race is the problem?
To decipher this let’s look at the disease rates of Blacks in Africa. Africa has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infections, and heart disease rates in Africans are one of the lowest rates anywhere. However, Africans that migrate to the United States has one of the highest rates of heart disease. The Former President of the American Public Health Association, Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, Ph.D., stated “there is nothing different biologically about race. It is the condition of our lives. We have to acknowledge that now and always.” The communities in which Blacks reside intend to be located in poor areas with high housing density, limited access to education, and high unemployment rates. As Dr. David Williams, Professor of Public Health at Harvard University, states “Your zip code is a better predictor of disease outcome than your genetics.” Blacks of higher socioeconomic status enjoy health on par with White Americans. So, we have known for a long time that low socioeconomic status is independently a risk factor for poorer health outcomes.
We also realized very quickly after the onset of COVID-19 that the elderly population is most at risk. This has been borne out by the number of senior citizens that have died in congregant living accommodations across the nation. On June 1, 2020, AARP reported in an article on their website written by Emily Paulin that “More than 38,000 nursing home residents and staff have died from COVID-19, representing over a third of the nation’s known coronavirus deaths. While dire, this figure is an undercount, experts warn, because not all states are publicly reporting data yet. In many states, more than half of coronavirus deaths have come in nursing homes.”
It is not all that surprising as many diseases including the common flu, disproportionately affect the elderly because our bodies are more likely to succumb to more diseases as we get older, and we are also more likely to be immune-compromised. Immune compromised diseases include diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease known for their “gluten intolerance.” Besides, having cancer, hypertension (high blood pressure) or heart disease can also put you at higher risk for COVID19, all of which increases with age. On the other hand, youth are likely to be without symptoms even while infected and likely to spread the disease. We call this being asymptomatic carriers. Therefore, we must shield our elderly population and limit visits to phone or video, such as face time while COVID-19 is active.
Our immune system was designed to ward off diseases such as bacteria and viruses as well as external and internal threats. Often, we do not fully appreciate that the threat that comes from within, that is to say when the immune system functions incorrectly, can do far greater damage to the body than we realize. There is a greater chance that a person will die from COVID-19 because their immune system is functioning incorrectly. Therefore, having a strong immune system that is performing at its optimal level is a key to fighting COVID-19.
You may think this means that whether you survive or not is out of your hands but I have good news; you can influence or even change your outcome by boosting your immune system. Here are some simple things you can do that are easily implemented by just about anyone –
- Drink sufficient amounts of water each day
- Increase your physical activity level
- Provide your body with nourishing fruits and vegetables
- Get adequate rest through enough sleep within every 24 hours
- Ensure exposure to a recommended 10- 30 minutes of sunlight daily with UV protection
People are not powerless. They can overcome many of the underlying medical conditions that increase vulnerability to COVID-19. For example, it is a fact that diabetes and high blood pressure can be reversed and cured by lifestyle changes. In turn, this will boost the immune system and bring about better outcomes if infected with COVID-19. So, although having underlying, pre-existing medical conditions mean a higher risk of infection, it is possible to make positive lifestyle changes that will tip the balance in your favor.
