Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Disproportionate Number Of African-Americans Are Dying, But The U.S. Has Been Silent On Race Data
ProPublica: Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted And Died Of Coronavirus At An Alarming Rate
The coronavirus entered Milwaukee from a white, affluent suburb. Then it took root in the city’s black community and erupted. As public health officials watched cases rise in March, too many in the community shrugged off warnings. Rumors and conspiracy theories proliferated on social media, pushing the bogus idea that black people are somehow immune to the disease. And much of the initial focus was on international travel, so those who knew no one returning from Asia or Europe were quick to dismiss the risk. (Johnson and Buford, 4/3)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: African Americans In Milwaukee Hit Hard By Coronavirus
Death arrived in Milwaukee two weeks ago, carried by an invisible enemy. In three days, the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 claimed three lives: all African American men in their 50s and 60s with underlying health conditions. Since then, the losses have continued to mount. Of the 25 people confirmed to have died from complications of COVID-19 in Milwaukee County as of late Friday morning, 20 have been African American, two have been Latino and three have been white. (Spicuzza, Luthern and Dirr, 4/3)
Kaiser Health News: Long-Standing Racial And Income Disparities Seen Creeping Into COVID-19 Care
The new coronavirus doesn’t discriminate. But physicians in public health and on the front lines said they already can see the emergence of familiar patterns of racial and economic bias in the response to the pandemic. In one analysis, it appears doctors may be less likely to refer African Americans for testing when they show up for care with signs of infection. (Farmer, 4/6)
Meanwhile, a look at how other demographics are playing a role —
CNN: Why The Coronavirus Kills Some Young People
When 30-year-old Ben Luderer started to feel sick, he wasn't that surprised. Just a few days earlier, his wife, Brandy, had tested positive for coronavirus, but there wasn't much to it... For Ben, however, his symptoms quickly became more severe. He had more shortness of breath, and by the last Friday in March, he told Brandy it was time to go to the emergency room. (Gupta, 4/6)
GMA: Healthy 18-Year-Old Speaks Out After Contracting COVID-19: 'It Can Happen To Anyone'
An 18-year-old student who said he tested positive for the novel coronavirus wants the world to know that regardless of age, the respiratory illness does not discriminate. Dimitri Mitchell, a freshman at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has had no prior health complications and began showing symptoms for COVID-19 on March 13... "It's the most sick I've ever been and I told my mom I felt like I was hit by a truck," he said. (Pelletiere, 4/6)
The Washington Post: All Across The United States, The Coronavirus Is Killing More Men Than Women, Data Show
As New York City erupts in coronavirus infections and deaths, Kaedrea Jackson has noticed something peculiar during her shifts inside the emergency department at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital. “It seems there are more men coming in with really severe illness,” said Jackson, an emergency physician. “In general, I’ve seen more male patients. And when they do come in, they are at a sicker state.” (Mooney, Kaplan and Dennis, 4/4)
The New York Times: Does Covid-19 Hit Women And Men Differently? U.S. Isn’t Keeping Track
As the novel coronavirus sweeps the world, sickening hundreds of thousands of people and killing at least 50,000 individuals to date, scientists have learned more and more about it. We know that older adults — aged 60 and above — are at greater risk of dying from it. And, based on data from China, Italy and South Korea, we also know that men seem to have higher fatality rates. But in the U.S., where ramped-up testing is churning out reams of data by the minute, there’s one thing we’re not monitoring: the sex breakdown. How many women are infected versus men? Are men and women equally likely to get infected? What is the fatality rate for each sex? Are symptoms exactly alike for men and women? (Gupta, 4/3)
South Bend Tribune: Details On COVID-19 Cases Often Scant; Officials Point To Privacy Laws
As the number of COVID-19 infections climbs throughout the Midwest and the rest of the nation, state and county health officials are typically releasing broad information and statistics on infections, despite a hunger from residents for more details on the spread of the virus in their communities, or even their neighborhoods. (Sheckler, 4/6)
