Why Are Black People Being Hit So Hard By Covid 19?
The Light with Raymond Tyler
Dr. Jon Regis president of Reliance Medical Group (their offices have been open through out the pandemic) discussed with me, why Black people seem to be suffering more from Covid 19.
Dr. Regis- First let me say. That we are staffing, the city of Atlantic City’s only free testing sites. We have one at the Bader Field site and one at The Show Boat Parking Lot. (Testing is only for AC residents at this time.)
Why are Black people being hit so hard by Covid 19 at this moment?
Dr. Regis- Poverty. Living Conditions. Lifestyle. Also we see that many of the essential/frontline workers are Black people. People like sanitation workers are very essential to the whole community whether you are black or white. The problem is the rest of the family may be at home but 1 or more family members may have to work with sanitation, or as a nurse, or in a food store and bring the virus home to the family. Many of us did not have the luxury to just stay at home.
What are your thoughts on Black People and the healthcare system? Especially as they relate to Coronavirus?
Dr. Regis-It’s a never ending story. I have been talking about “racial profiling” in health care for so many years. Out of the 21 leading causes of death here in America, Black people lead in 20 of the 21 causes and that was before Covid 19. With Covid 19 it’s just a continuation of what’s been happening since we arrived here in this country. In short, many Black people cannot stay home from work to quarantine. Many Black people live in closer proximity to immediate and extended family. Many Black People do not have insurance or are under insured and these factors contribute to the spread and mortality from Covid. However, not related to Covid we see that people that are Black in affluent communities, also suffer from things such as Post Pregnancy Mortality and in some cases these women suffer more than their poorer Black counterparts. America should realize that the stress put on Black people in this country in trying to make up gaps in justice, education, health and economics is real and it is killing people of color.
Let’s Discuss Lifestyle
Dr. Regis- Lifestyle choices can negatively effect your lungs and kidneys if you contract Covid 19. Lifestyle is the piece we can control. We need to be more active and exercise more. Too many of us are morbid obese and eat too many fried foods.
Many of us do not see doctors for economic reasons and for cultural reasons. What would be the first steps to change that behavior?
Dr. Regis- Black people have been experimented on well before The Tuskegee Experiment…so we have the right to be skeptical about seeking medical attention.
However, it is important that we get a complete physical every year to stay on top of and prevent complications from things like diabetes and high blood pressure. I would say…ask your friends who their health care providers are. If cost is an issue in Atlantic City , Southern New Jersey Family Medical Center offers free treatment and care across the board. They are a federally funded practice run by great, qualified Black people.
When it comes to our health unfortunately, it’s just not going to be easy for us. Atlantic City right now is a food dessert, so we need to find the pop up farmer’s markets, we may need to call Uber and Lyft for discount rides. However, if we fail to take care of our health…eat chips every day…we are going to wind up paying the price. Just like a smoker. A smoker may die from “cardiac arrest” or “emphysema” but we all know it was those cigarettes that killed them.
A much more thorough Q&A can be seen on my facebook channel and youtube.
This is part of the reporting fellowship on Covid-19 conducted by the Center for Cooperative Media for ethnic and community media in New Jersey.
You can connect with Raymond Tyler via Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram @RaymondTyler2018.
