Only a small number of states have released information on the racial breakdown of those afflicted with the coronavirus, but early indications show black Americans are getting hit harder than other groups.
The issue was addressed Tuesday at the White House briefing, with President Trump acknowledging that African-Americans are disproportionately getting sick and even dying of the Chinese virus COVID-19.
“We’re doing everything in our power to address this challenge,” the president said. “It’s a tremendous challenge. It’s terrible.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said blacks are more likely to have underlying health conditions that increase the risk of a “bad outcome” from the virus, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and asthma.
“It’s not that they are getting infected more often. It’s that when they do get infected, their underlying medical conditions … wind them up in the ICU,” he said
Dr. Anthony Fauci says “diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and asthma are disproportionately afflicting” minority populations, particularly African Americans, and those are “predisposing conditions that lead to a bad outcome” with coronavirus. https://t.co/KPN3knt0Wv pic.twitter.com/IedNlC4Y6F
— ABC News (@ABC) April 7, 2020
“We’re very concerned about it,” Fauci went on to say. “It’s very sad. It’s nothing we can do about it right now except to try and give them the best possible care to avoid these complications.”
The leading underlying medical conditions in patients who tested positive for the virus are hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and obesity, all of which are more prevalent in the black community.
But Diamond and Silk, aka Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, are saying not so fast.
“Black people are not the only ones who have underlying medical conditions…. What in the hell is going on? Something is off, and Something ain’t Right!” the pro-Trump ladies tweeted.
Black people are not the only ones who have underlying medical conditions…….. What in the hell is going on?
Something is off, and Something ain’t Right!
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) April 7, 2020
A second tweet from Diamond and Silk may add some clarity — it shows Dr. Deborah Birx explaining that if a person in the U.S contaminated with coronavirus dies from an underlying cause, that death is attributed to the virus.
In other words, a person who dies with the virus, but not from the virus, is still being counted as a COVID-19 death — meaning the numbers can’t be trusted.
.@DiamondandSilk were one of the first to question the data & the high rise in the number of deaths.
If what Dr. Birx is saying is true, then that means that the numbers are being inflated. This is what's causing fear & panic.
We keep telling y'all that something ain't right! pic.twitter.com/B4jbmy5f70— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) April 8, 2020
Citing public health researchers, the New York Times attributed disproportionately high rates to the “entrenched inequalities in resources, health and access to care.”
“Longstanding inequalities also make African-Americans less likely to be insured, and more likely to have existing health conditions and face racial bias that prevents them from getting proper treatment,” the paper reported.
The Times said black Americans don’t have “the luxury of working from home,” which also puts them at higher risk, and reported that “initial indications are that doctors are less likely to refer African-Americans for testing when they visit a clinic with symptoms of Covid-19.”
Vox was more direct in its accusations: “Hundreds of years of racism has delivered poor health and economic outcomes for black people, making them more vulnerable in the pandemic.”
Not to make light of the subject, but conservative Candace Owens offered a different take on the racial aspect at play.
I really wish @realDonaldTrump would let black people from the hood conduct just one #coronavirus press conference.
America needs this more than Dr. Fauci right now. pic.twitter.com/pSr5nwQ063
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 1, 2020
Here’s a sampling of responses to Diamond and Silk from Twitter, to include others who are just as skeptical:
New curious slant. Fauci in NIH for 40 years and he blames America for the underlying health disparity that cause AA to be disproportionately affected.Seems he would have done something about that w/ his work in all the other illnesses and viruses to address this in those 40 yrs.
— LQ America, Let’s Get Back to Work!! (@LouiseJune18) April 8, 2020
Something is way off. The numbers and demographics fluctuate too much on any given day. We need more investigation on all of the COVID19 variables.
— Angie Douglas (@AngieKay05) April 8, 2020
I agree. This looks very suspicious. Especially since there are a couple of Democrat flunkies openly floating the idea that our president is to blame for this. I think that someone is trying to sabotage the work that you two have been doing, before the elections…
— CHRISTIE – Let Freedom Ring 🔔🇺🇸 (@FREEDOMChristie) April 7, 2020
I’ve heard that heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are more prominent in the black community. These medical conditions make people more likely to develop serious complications. Don’t know if anything other than higher risk is going on though.
— Ivelinemarie (@1ofSevenSisters) April 7, 2020
Did you see Fauci jump on that bandwagon? He couldn’t wait to get up there and pretend to be sympathetic… all to keep black Americans tied to the Democrat party. This whole thing stinks!
— Lea (@LeaKennedyPHX) April 7, 2020
Something ain’t right! Is the truest statement of this entire ordeal.
— @mannyritex (@mannyritex) April 7, 2020
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