Will the Native American community be decimated?

I believe that when people tune into a press conference about the Covid virus they are looking for information. I don’t think they want to listen to a lot of campaigning and profiling. It is very unfortunate when we can’t get the right information that people need on this important subject. We are working on saving lives and every minute counts. If I have misled you on any subject please feel free to ask me questions or make comments. I would love for this to be a two way street. We are all in this together.

My topic today is racial disparities specifically related to the Covid virus.

I was not necessarily going to ‘go there’ because racial disparity in the United States is chronic, it is not an acute issue and the Pandemic is not going to change it.

However the buzz term for this week’s Infodemic seems to be racial disparities.

Here’s the deal : many more African Americans are dying from Covid-19 than Caucasians.

 For example: In Illinois  and Michigan, African Americans make up 14 to 15% of the population and yet they make up 42% of those who have died. In Louisiana African Americans make up 33% of the population but 7 out of 10 deaths are in the African American community and it is the same situation across the nation.

As I have said before: this is really no news! The numbers are shocking I agree but not surprising. It is a reflection of the socioeconomic racism that is endemic in this country and has been for generations. Covid-19 will not change it. It will take generations to unravel.

So when I look at statistics from a doctor’s point of view, I say how can I help my patients with this information?

This is not the time to use politics to advantage or to be preaching. I am not a politician but I do see where the racial disparity and the differences in the death rates is a huge public health problem. But is there something I can do?

Yes, I can give information and point out how we can stop this virus in the community before it is too late.  Maybe the 'black' community and the Native American community are not sitting home like us watching videos and reading blogs? Maybe they don’t have the technology or the education to know what is going on. Therefore we as a community, the politicians and the public health service should get up and get out there and make sure that everyone gets the word. Make sure that everyone understands how to prevent getting the corona virus.

Let’s make sure people fully understand what it is and how lethal it is.

When we talk to people about 'pre-existing conditions' and 'co-morbidities' do they necessarily understand it? How about we try it this way: Hey Sir, if you take a pill everyday that is prescribed by a doctor you are at high risk of dying!  Have you got ‘pressure’ or ‘sugar’? You need to watch out you could die!

I want to turn your attention to a community that is even more underserved than the African American community. The Native American community, they have even worse health care, if any. There are 6.7 million Native Americans in this country (approximately 2 %), 78 % live off tribal lands. Those who live in traditional Native American communities have the poorest health status in the country. Their life expectancy is 5.5 years shorter than all races in the US. They have the highest rates of heart disease, suicide and cancer. As well as chronic liver disease and chronic respiratory disease.

They have 6 times the rates of alcohol induced illness, are 600 times more likely to die of tuberculosis (TB) and 200 times more likely to die of diabetes than any other race in this country. Which means the disparity  in health is even worse than that of the African American.

In the reservations there is overcrowding and many generations live in the same house. Many do not have electricity or running water. It may not be practical in these circumstances to say “Stay at home” or “wash your hands”.

In the pandemic of 1918, 4 times more Native Americans than the general population died. Are we going to allow this to happen again?

Conditions have actually not changed much since then in “Indian country”.

At the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota as it stands today, for the tribe’s 50,000 members there are 24 corona virus test kits, six ventilators and 4 beds set aside for quarantine at Pine Ridge hospital. We should be testing and separating everyone.

The virus will go through the reservations like wildfire!

We cannot just shake our heads and say what a shame.

Information is key and its not too late to save lives there. Complain to congress, they should be rushing ventilators and kits and PPE with the military to these vulnerable communities. They should set up makeshift hospitals but most importantly they should be giving the people health information about prevention (along with masks, hand sanitizer etc) in a way that they can understand.

This will be the only opportunity to save the lives of our nation's first citizens, and the window is closing rapidly.