Page 26 - bon-dia-aruba-20200406

A26 U.S. NEWS
Monday 6 april 2020
Amid coronavirus pandemic, black mistrust of medicine looms

By AARON MORRISON and most concerned with in- pressure and are less likely
JAY REEVES equities in who's provided to have those conditions
Associated Press tests, who's provided treat- under control. Additionally,
NEW YORK (AP) — Just as ment and how those tests in 2015, black women were
the new coronavirus was and the treatments are ad- 20% more likely to have
declared a global pan- ministered, in a way that is asthma than non-Hispanic
demic, gym members in open, transparent, and eq- whites.
New York City frantically uitable," Johnson said. Those disparities make the
called the fitness center For most people, the virus availability of a treatment
where Rahmell Peebles causes mild or moderate or vaccine urgent, even
worked, asking him to symptoms, such as fever as the virus is currently pro-
freeze their memberships. and cough. But for some, jected to claim tens of
Peebles, a 30-year-old especially older adults and thousands of lives. But giv-
black man who's skeptical people with existing health en history, Peebles said he
of what he hears from the problems, it can cause wouldn't rush to accept a
news media and govern- more severe illness, includ- remedy.
ment, initially didn't see the In this March 26, 2020, photo, Rahmell Peeples walks in his ing pneumonia and death. "If we got to a place where
need for alarm over the vi- neighborhood during an interview in the Brooklyn borough of Cities with large black the government says,
rus. New York. populations like New York, 'Okay, now it's time to take
"I felt it was a complete Associated Press. Chicago, Detroit, Milwau- a vaccine,' then I'm defi-
hoax," Peebles said. "This from others when he goes Ayanna Pressley of Massa- kee and New Orleans have nitely going to be skeptical
thing happens every two out. chusetts who joined other emerged as hot spots for of their intentions," he said.
or four years. We have an Some call such skepti- congressional leaders in the coronavirus. Figures re- Launched in 1932 by the
outbreak of a disease that cism the "Tuskegee effect" asking the government to leased by Michigan's De- U.S. Public Health Service,
seems to put everybody in — distrust linked to the collect and release infor- partment of Health and Hu- the Tuskegee study in-
a panic." U.S. government's once- mation about the race and man Services show 40% of volved roughly 600 poor
Peebles is among roughly secret study of black men ethnicity of people who are those who have died from black men in Alabama who
40 million black Americans in Alabama who were tested or treated for the vi- COVID-19 are black in a weren't treated for the sex-
deciding minute by minute left untreated for syphilis. rus that causes COVID-19. state where African-Ameri- ually transmitted disease
whether to put their faith in Black people already suf- "History has shown us, when cans are just 14 percent of so researchers could track
government and the medi- fer disproportionately from we do not" ask questions, the population. its progress. The program
cal community during the chronic conditions like dia- said Pressley, who is black, And many Southern states was exposed and ended
coronavirus pandemic. betes and heart disease "the consequences are with large black popula- in 1972, and then-President
Historic failures in govern- and are far more likely to grave, and in fact life and tions have been slow to Bill Clinton formally apolo-
ment responses to disasters be uninsured. death." mandate statewide restric- gized in 1997.
and emergencies, medical How the government and NAACP President Derrick tions shown to slow virus The Tuskegee legacy has
abuse, neglect and exploi- medical community re- Johnson, who hosted a spread. helped pollute the black
tation have jaded genera- sponds to the crisis will be coronavirus tele-town hall According to the U.S. De- community's relationship
tions of black people into a especially crucial for out- with U.S. Surgeon General partment of Health and with American medical sci-
distrust of public institutions. comes among black Amer- Jerome Adams last month, Human Services, black ence. A 2016 paper found
"I've just been conditioned icans, civil rights advocates said black and brown com- adults are 60% more likely the fallout included mistrust
not to trust," said Peebles, and medical experts say. munities need reliable infor- than non-Hispanic white of medicine among black
who is now obeying the "We are right to be para- mation about the crisis. adults to be diagnosed men, along with fewer in-
state's stay home order noid and to ask tough "Now that this has been with diabetes, 40% more teractions with doctors and
and keeping his distance questions," said U.S. Rep. deemed a pandemic, I am likely to have high blood higher mortality rates.q

Biden raises idea of Democrats holding an online convention

By WILL WEISSERT nee who could defeat dorsed delaying the con-
Associated Press President Donald Trump vention before the move
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe in November. But officials to do so was announced,
Biden said Sunday that the announced on Thursday and said Sunday that the
Democratic National Con- they were taking the un- extraordinary measure of
vention, already delayed precedented step of post- holding one all online is still
until August because of poning the convention not a certainty.
the coronavirus, may need until August, just before the "What we do between
to take place online as the Republican National Con- now and then is going
pandemic continues to vention is scheduled. to dictate a lot of that as
reshape the race for the The once-crowded Demo- well," he said. "But my point
White House. In this image from video provided by the Biden for President cratic primary has dwin- is that I think you just got to
The party "may have to do campaign, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice dled to Biden and Ver- follow the science. Listen
a virtual convention," the President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual press briefing mont Sen. Bernie Sanders. to the experts."
former vice president said. Wednesday, March 25, 2020. But both have switched to Biden also said he planned
"The idea of holding the Associated Press. addressing supporters on- to wear a mask in pub-
convention is going to be "very possible.'' tion in Milwaukee, origi- line from home, with travel lic, heeding new federal
necessary. We may not be Biden has a command- nally scheduled for mid- and campaign rallies — guidelines that Americans
able to put 10, 20, 30,000 ing lead in the number of July. Democrats hoped like many facets of Ameri- use face coverings when
people in one place," he delegates needed to se- an early gathering would can life — suspended for venturing out. That contra-
told ABC's "This Week," call- cure his party's presidential give the party more time weeks because of the out- dicts Trump, who says he's
ing an online convention nomination at a conven- to unify around a nomi- break. Biden publicly en- choosing not do that. q