Chen Hongbin
As the 2019 coronary virus is raging in the United States, the data in various places are showing a fact: compared with white people, the situation of black people is obviously more tragic.After analyzing data from the United States, the Washington Post found that in areas where African Americans live in concentrated residence, the infection rate of crown disease is about three times that of white residential areas, and the mortality rate is as high as six times.
Experts believe that although the current data is not comprehensive, it also highlights the deep -rooted problem in American society, which is the inequality caused by different skin tone.African -American people have faced problems such as uneven social resources and difficult to see a doctor for a long time. In this epidemic, they became prominent vulnerable groups.
Under the impact of the epidemic, the situation of the African -American group is even more difficult.According to the Washington Post, although there are only a few judicial jurisdictions in the United States that have published racial coronary case data, the differences are already very obvious.
Taking the New York City, which is far ahead of diagnosis cases, the city's blacks accounted for 22%, but the death case of crown disease accounted for 28%, exceeding the ratio of white death cases.The city accounts for 32%, but the percentage of crown disease is 27%.
The number of deaths in the current report is second only to New York State and New Jersey's Michigan. Although African Americans account for only 14%of the population in the region, it accounts for 33%of the confirmed cases and 40%of death cases.In addition, more than a quarter of death cases in Michigan are concentrated in Detroit, where the African -American population accounts for 79%of the total population.
In Illinois, although the situation in the entire state is similar to Michigan, if you just look at the data of Chicago, you can clearly see a cruel reality: the mortality of black residents in Chicago is six times that of white people.About 70%of the 118 deaths reported in Chicago were African -American, but the local African -American population accounted for only 30%.
There are similar situations in Louisiana. 70%of death cases are black, but local blacks account for only 32%.
According to the Washington Post, US President Trump also publicly acknowledged that African -American's crown disease diagnosis and mortality exceeded their population ratio at the White House press conference.
One of the reasons for this severe situation is that a large number of blacks in the United States were inherently poor, so it was vulnerable in the epidemic.According to the relevant data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2017 to 2018, the obesity rate of adult blacks over 20 years old is as high as 49.5%, which is significantly exceeded 44.8%and 42.2%of White.%.The problem of obesity has also led to the ratio of black people with diabetes and hypertension.Once the crown disease is infected, it is easy to turn into severe illnesses.Historically, when Americans have a cold, black American has already gained pneumonia.
In addition, the employment environment of the blacks makes them look more fragile when the epidemic outbreaks.Many of them are buses and subway drivers, or sanitation workers, or takeaway.Although economic activities across the United States have successively pressed the suspension key after the outbreak of the epidemic, because these industries are public services and cannot work at home, they can only continue to adhere to the original work method.Many blacks have to continue to work, but they cannot get the necessary protection of medical supplies including masks, which are completely exposed, which undoubtedly increases their infection rate.A bus driver at Detroit uploaded a video. When he was driving a bus, the passenger kept coughing. Although he protested, he couldn't help it.Four days later, the driver was diagnosed with diagnosis and declared dysfunction a week later.
In addition, the medical insurance coverage of the black group is significantly lower than other races.Due to the lack of medical insurance, some people can not even perform virus testing.
The living environment of black people is relatively dense, and it is difficult to maintain the necessary social distance.Due to the low income, they can often only live in living areas such as low -rent housing and shelter.Once someone is infected with the virus, it is difficult for them to separate themselves or keep a distance from others.
The black American community has always lacked financial support, which has continued to deteriorate their medical and health conditions.Many public health experts point out that this is the result of long -term structural inequality in society.
The superposition of this series of reasons has led to the black people look particularly fragile and unbearable in this epidemic.
In the face of this situation, more and more people in the United States have echoed, asking the government to make information further transparent.
On April 6, the US Civil Rights Lawyer Committee and hundreds of doctors and several Democrats were jointly trusted to report to the Minister of Health and Public Services to request publishing racial population data related to crown disease testing, patients and treatment results every day.The committee and medical experts believe that this information will ensure that black American and other colored races enjoy equal testing and treatment opportunities, and also help formulate public health strategies to protect vulnerable groups.They pointed out that the data released by the government had lacking transparency before, which was shocked.
Regarding the pressure applied by all parties, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention responded on April 7 that it was planned to announce data related to race in the next incidence and mortality weekly report.However, the Washington Post pointed out that it had been six weeks after the first death case.
For blacks in the United States, the urban measures adopted by all places are closed, which has led a large number of stores to close their doors, and also caused black people to face a greater unemployment crisis.American economists estimate that the actual unemployment rate of blacks is likely to be as high as 20.7%, not 4.1%announced by the official.
The National Women's Law Center previously pointed out in a statement that when dealing with major epidemics, it should not ignore the differences between race and gender.
As early as 1776, the independence declaration promulgated by the United States clearly announced that everyone's life was equal.Today, is the United States gradually approaching this goal or gradually, and the answer is self -evident.
The author is an associate researcher at the Shanghai International Institute of International Institute of International China
