Data compiled by the Mississippi State Department of Health show that COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus has affected the state’s African American community, at times, overwhelmingly more than others.
According to MSDH, these numbers are reflected in both the positive tests and deaths related to the illness.
This is something that has been talked about by state and national experts over the past four weeks.
The numbers in Sunflower County and its neighboring communities reflect this as well.
“I do believe that the underlying issues of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure that we know are more prevalent in our African American population are the main reason for the disparity,” said South Sunflower County Hospital physician Dr. Hannah Ray. “And unfortunately, a lot of these risk factors are not well-controlled in this population due to a variety of issues from compliance to finance to access to care which makes the outcomes worse for these patients.”
In Mississippi, as of April 26th, 2020, African Americans represent the majority of COVID-19 cases with 52.0 percent, while white Americans represent 33.4 percent.
In Sunflower County, 45 of the 52 positive cases as of Tuesday were African Americans.
African Americans also have the majority of deaths caused by the COVID-19 with 60.7 percent.
In neighboring Leflore County, 125 of the 141 positive cases as of Tuesday were African American. There were 15 recorded deaths in that county on Tuesday related to the coronavirus, and all 15 were African American.
Similar numbers come from Bolivar County, where 79 of the 101 cases involve African Americans, and six of the seven deaths in that county were African Americans.
All but 10 positive cases in Coahoma County are African Americans, according to MSDH.
All but four of the 18 cases in Humphreys County are African Americans, 62 out of the 77 cases in Washington County are African American, and 100 percent of the reported deaths (three) as of Tuesday were from the black community.
Health care professionals like Ray emphasized the importance of following CDC guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks while out in public, while also adhering to quarantine rules when individuals test positive for COVID-19.
