Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 5-8-20

Feature
Doctors Discuss COVID-19 Virus And African Americans
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and severe obesity are some chronic illnesses that have historically affected the African American community. However, when any of these chronic conditions are coupled with the COVID-19 Virus, it results in more complications and higher death rates.
Since the virus spreads through contact, rules to enforce social distancing have come into play. Two Bay Area physicians share their opinions on the effect of the illness on African Americans and what governing officials should do to reach all members of the com- munity.
The doctors said, “Governing officials must address the needs of the vulnerable populations in the area. Heightened attention and efforts are required if we are to be successful in our efforts to control the pandemic in our area. We suggest that the following actions should be implemented immediately:
Broadened access to testing that includes lowering the age to 50, with symptoms and with or without con- tact history.
Increase the number of testing sites in African American neighborhoods. Specifically, we strongly recommend point of care testing (15-minute or less
STEPHANIE TALTON- WILLIAMSON, MD. Bay Area Medical Association President
BARBARA NABRIT- STEPHENS, MD. National Medical Association Region 3 Trustee
Timely, accurate data on the number of people tested with their results will allow us to alert vulnerable citi- zens, contain and prevent the infection spread.
• Communicate and educate all African Americans on COVID-19 infection risk, treatment and end of life preparation, using media outlets and personalities servicing African American communities (Haitian and English-speaking Caribbean radio, newspapers, radio and TV programs consumed by African Americans, billboards and social media). Funding should be allo- cated to ensure prime time programming. In addition, limited access to internet should be considered in the design of communication strategies.
• Engage and fund local community organizations such as the Urban League affiliates, National Medical Association, medical society Bay Area Medical Associ- ation, NAACP branches, Black Nurses Association of Tampa Bay, local faith-based entities, and other NGO’s to help facilitate community education on COVID-19.
It has become clear that the African American com- munities around the country have experienced dispro- portionate mortality rates during this pandemic.
Now is the time for Tampa Bay to recognize the vul- nerability of this population and initiate the needed in- terventions to prevent the tragedies seen in the African American communities nationally from occurring in our area.
turn-around time on results) to ensure immediate re- sponse to contain spread among family members and community
• Update testing guidelines to include symptomatic individuals
• Mobile Testing Unit- a fully equipped mobile unit with ability to accept walk up patients and testing can be done outside. The unit can be deployed to different communities every day and local physicians can refer:
• More robust data collection, including race:
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