WAAY 31's Will Robinson-Smith was live outside of Athens-Limestone Hospital and learned what's being done about this disturbing trend.
About this disturbing trend.
Both leaders in the black community and medical experts are sounding the alarm that the outcome we're seeing now is due to many systemic trends in our society.
Gregory bentley, president, madison county chapter, southern christian leadership conference it's been intensified and amplified and exacerbated by this, by these things were, as they say in the insurance industry, 'preexisting conditions.'
Reverend gregory bentley told me even before the state's dpeartment of health confirmed a disproportionate amount of coronavirus cases and deaths in the african american community... he expected it.
Gregory bentley, president, madison county chapter, southern christian leadership conference disappointed, but not surprised at all because i know american history and i know the american experience.
According to the u.s. department of health and human services, african-americans make less money and are less likely to have health insurance than white americans.
Dr. nauman qureshi has worked as a physician in athens for nearly 40 years.
He says these and other preexisting medical conditions are playing a role in the higher count.
Dr. nauman qureshi, athens internal medicine factors come into play, such as your age, whether you have diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, asthma.
All of these are more common in the african-american population and so that is why the african-american population tends to get sicker when they catch the virus.
Jessica fortune barker with the madison county chapter of the alabama new south coalition says the black community needs to take this virus seriously.
Jessica fortune barker, president, madison county chapter of the alabama new south coalition we're a resilient people, you know.
We're used to having to fight from a disadvantaged standpoint.
And so i just always tell my community that, hey, these things may be impacting us, but we have the strength and the resiliency and we can pull through this together.
I also spoke with the president of the madison county chapter of the naacp.
He says that an important next step is to push legislators to create a system with more affordable health care so that future viruses don't have an outsized impact on minorities.
Reporting live in athens, will robinson-smith, waay 31 news.
While black Alabamians are only about 27 percent of the state's population, they represent more than 55 percent of the states..
