Stark statistics from Chicago health officials have underscored the heavy toll of coronavirus on black Americans.
Black Chicagoans account for half of all coronavirus cases in the city and more than 70% of deaths, despite making up 30% of the population.
Other cities with large black populations, including Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans and New York, have become coronavirus hotspots.
The US has recorded nearly 370,000 virus cases and almost 11,000 deaths.
Globally there have been nearly 75,000 deaths and more than 1.3m cases total.

What do Chicago's statistics show?

As of 5 April, 1,824 out of Chicago's 4,680 confirmed Covid-19 cases were black residents, said city officials on Monday.
That compared with 847 white, 478 Hispanic and 126 Asian Chicagoans.
Chicago has seen a total of 98 deaths as of Sunday, with 72% of them black residents.

The disparity is reflected across the state, where black people account for 41% of Covid-19 deaths, despite making up 14% of the population of Illinois.

Chicago public health commissioner Dr Allison Arwady told reporters that black city residents already lived on average about 8.8 years less than their white counterparts.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the coronavirus was "devastating black Chicago".
She said city inspectors would be sent into shops to ensure everyone was adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Mayor Lightfoot also raised the possibility of curfews in areas where people gathered outside liquor stores, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

What's the picture nationally?
Though the coronavirus has been called the "great equalizer", data suggests that vulnerability to the infection may vary by neighbourhood.
In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of the population, but they account for 33% of the coronavirus cases and 41% of deaths, figures from the state health department showed on Monday.
White residents account for about 23% of recorded cases in Michigan and 28% of deaths, according to the data.
Detroit, Michigan, is about 80% black, and the city together with its surrounding suburbs accounts for around 80% of confirmed coronavirus cases.
A similar disparity has emerged in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of the most segregated cities in the US.
African Americans made up almost half of Milwaukee Country's nearly 1,000 cases as of last Friday and 81% of its 27 deaths, despite black people accounting for 26% of the population there, according to a study by ProPublica.

Some 40% of Louisiana's coronavirus deaths have occurred in the New Orleans area, where the majority of residents are black.
Health officials have previously said the Big Easy's residents suffer from rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension that are higher than the national average, making them more vulnerable to Covid-19.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52194018

Na wa

This scary. God please protect my friends and family. Keep all Nigerian safe.


What a twist?


Black come back home it's safer here

meezynetwork:
Na wa

Statistics don't lie.


It means black man blood is no more resistant to the virus

Also note underlying health issues like obesity

This ix not about black or white is about us as human may God help us

SocialFinance:



Statistics don't lie.


It means black man blood is no more resistant to the virus

Also note underlying health issues like obesity

I won't really agree on genetics being responsible for the higher rate.

I'll rather pitch my tent on the likelihood of lifestyle and underlying health issues which makes them more vulnerable and susceptible to the virus.

Good. Africans and low intelligence. Keep thinking the virus doesn't affect you because of your skin color, while everyone with an intelligence higher than a monkey is isolating themselves - but keep partying and socializing becAuse you're black.

They sha want blacks to start panicking because they are too relaxed...okay, now we are really scared

China chop meat,clean mouth....Na other countries dey die like fowl on daily Basis.

Oluwa come thru for us

It's not by our colour, neither is it by our weather but by the grace of God that exempted us from the wrath of the virus.

What is the importance of this news.. Just to paint blacks bad?.. What about white-populated areas are they immune?.. Yeyenatu

Fadomero:
This ix not about black or white is about us as human may God help us

Yes every human is being affected, however statistics like this call for our reflection.

Poverty and useless lifestyle can make you unnecessarily vulnerable.

SenecaTheYonger:
Good. Africans and low intelligence. Keep thinking the virus doesn't affect you because of your skin color, while everyone with an intelligence higher than a monkey is isolating themselves - but keep partying and socializing becAuse you're black.

Poverty and careless lifestyle is the major culprit

PureGoldh:
China chop meat,clean mouth....Na other countries dey die like fowl on daily Basis.

Oluwa come thru for us

China or no China, the hard fact is people are dying all over the world.

Our best bet is to prepare, stay safe

Nigeria appears to be safer now and handling the spread with experience gained from Ebola



Cc Mynd44

Cc Dominique

Lalasticlala

SocialFinance:


Poverty and careless lifestyle is the major culprit

Yeah. It's only blacks thats are poor.

SenecaTheYonger:


Yeah. It's only blacks thats are poor.

Read it again. Maybe slowly this time around

Medical insurance is a must if you want to access medical services in US.

Many don't have or too poor to pay for it. So in time like this, they are on their own.

Gorem2013:



Read it again. Maybe slowly this time around

Medical insurance is a must if you want to access medical services in US.

Many don't have or too poor to pay for it. So in time like this, they are on their own.

Now he's talking about insurance. Niqqa, if you walk into any hospital in US with symptoms, you will be treated even before asking for money or insurance, especially in this pandemic. YOu'll hardly find any american that pays for healthcare out of pocket, it's mostly insurance which a lot of them have.

SenecaTheYonger:


Now he's talking about insurance. Niqqa, if you walk into any hospital in US with symptoms, you will be treated even before asking for money or insurance, especially in this pandemic. YOu'll hardly find any american that pays for healthcare out of pocket, it's mostly insurance which a lot of them have.

Can you check the message America embassy sent to Americans trying to return home. It's clearly stated there that they will pay for any medical service they received that is more than what their insurance cover when they returned.

The black student that last month was not given medical attention because of deficiency insurance.

Meanwhile you quoted socialfinance, just trying to educate you about situation on ground on US