Impact of COVID-19 on the Rise in Black Communities
Elders were given cleaning supplies by communities members coordinated by Woman to Woman Organzation.
Black people are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
This determination does not come as a surprise as Black communities demonstrate some of the largest health disparities in the country, and are no exception in Douglas County.
Prior to COVID-19, the northeast part of Douglas County, most of North Omaha, showed the highest concentration of diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and numerous other health issues. A 2018 Community Health Needs Assessment Report discussed the social determinants of health impacting many of our low-income, Black and Brown, and working-class families in Douglas and surrounding counties.
Coronavirus related deaths are expected to spike and this week was speculated to be the “saddest” by the Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Jerome Adams, in regard to fatalities. Data shows that Black people are making up some of the highest percentages of deaths in the country including Illinois, Louisiana, and cities of similar size to Omaha, like Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Douglas County Health Department has released case numbers by race, through their COVID-19 dashboard. Currently, white people make up the majority of the 167 cases in the county at 105, with Black folks at 30. Though the number may seem small, Black people make up 11.3% of the county's population and account for about 17.9% of the known cases with these numbers expected to rise as testing becomes more available.
This issue becomes more troublesome as a significant portion of the Black population has no health insurance or is underinsured, after American Indians and Latinos. Black communities also have more geographical limitations to access to care facilities, and historically has a higher mistrust of the health care system.
Rumors that Black people were immune to coronavirus, also did not help as the virus began to spread. Much of the initial news coverage talked about white people who traveled to China being infected and those circumstances are not a part of many people’s reality. Now though, the virus is present and becoming very real by the day.
From what we know, this threat is huge, moves fast, will only get worse, and is invisible. So what does one do? Well, we've heard all of the words from the CDC and other officials, social distancing is how we can slow the spread.
That has proven challenging in our local context, as on Sunday, March 29, hundreds of people showed up at Levi Carter Lake for a parking lot kickback. Under different circumstances, this wouldn't be out of the ordinary, it's a part of our culture. But as a global pandemic comes close to home, people have to begin to recognize that in order to protect the culture, we have to protect our lives.
Tamika Mease, founder of Woman to Woman Organization, has been an active advocate working to safely supply North Omaha residents with household supplies and food as children are out of school and parents are losing work. NOISE spoke to her after she posted a video on Facebook in response to the large gathering at Carter Lake. “It was something that I would not have done but, I do understand the thought process behind it after reading some of the feedback from the people that had actually gone. Some people have felt like they were going crazy in the house, whether you have pre-existing mental health issues or you didn’t,” said Mease.
Mental health has become a major focus of local health care providers, as initiatives like the BUILD Health Challenge with Heartland Family Service or Charles Drews’ Behavior Health Services have increased capacity. With that in consideration, Mease still thinks the Black community needs to take COVID-19 more seriously.
“I would definitely strongly urge our Black community to take this pandemic more seriously. I would stress this to our younger Black community. From my experience speaking with different people from our community through supply drives and giveaways, people, for the most part, are taking it seriously. I don’t think they’re very educated on the severity of it, but just looking around and seeing things being shut down, businesses and all of that is definitely a huge impact and eye-opener,” said Mease.
Tamika Meese and fellow organizers and volunteers.
Access to education and awareness for young people in the community is also suffering as all schools are closed. This can leave a population without necessary information from a trusted source. Mease believes that the information gap can lead to irresponsible behavior.
“I have spoken to some of our younger members of our community that feel like ‘Oh well, if I get it it will be like the flu and it is not really going to impact me and I’m not going to allow it stop my life. I think that’s the biggest thing.” Mease has two 23-year-old daughters working in childcare and she says they have grown more concerned as daycares have received population limits from Douglas County.
“We have to be transparent with our thoughts and our fears, I think with us as parents, if we are transparent with our children even with our adult children, we can get across that this is really serious.” Mease said a family member of hers recently told their adult son she would not allow him into her home because he wasn’t taking the matter seriously. That family member has COPD.
So what is a solution to this issue? Mease recommends more education and awareness about the virus, as well as more options for maintaining a healthy mind, “Offer some alternatives if you want to go out, go for a car ride. Or walk around the block. Go somewhere but keep in mind but not in large groups. We just want to educate instead of beating down.”
This is an opportunity to take hold of our lives and determine the long-term health of our community. We at NOISE have been actively compiling information related to COVID-19 as well as educational resources for parents/guardians attending to children at home. You can subscribe to text alerts that we send regularly with the latest information from city officials, community groups, and the health department by texting NOISE to 33222.
On the national stage:
Senator Bernie Sanders hosted a Town Hall on the Impact on Black Americans: Sen. Bernie Sanders holds a town hall focused on how the coronavirus crisis is impacting Black Americans. The New York Times reported today that the coronavirus is 'infecting and killing black people in the United States at disproportionately high rates, according to data released by several states and big cities, highlighting what public health researchers say are entrenched inequalities in resources, health and access to care.'