Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CBS News Tuesday morning that African-Americans are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
After agreeing that the CDC and the federal government should be tracking the impact of the coronavirus within different demographic groups, Adams said that his office had been discussing health equity prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
“But my office, long before COVID-19, has been talking about health equity, has been talking about the need to help people understand when they’re at risk and to actually intervene,” Adams said.
Adams went on to explain why African-Americans are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
“When you look at being black in America, number one: people unfortunately are more likely to be of low socioeconomic status, which makes it harder to social distance,” Adams said. “Number two: we know that blacks are more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease.”
Adams added he has personally shared having high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and being pre-diabetic.
“So I represent that legacy of growing up poor and black in America, and I and many black Americans are at higher risk for COVID,” Adams said. “It’s why we need everyone to do their part to slow the spread.”
When asked about 70% of COVID-19 fatalities in Louisiana being people of color and African-Americans, Adams said that it “breaks my heart” and that he recommends that people understand that they’re at risk and not immune.
“And my recommendation is to all of America that we’re really doing this not just ourselves but each other,” Adams said, referring to social distancing guidelines.
On Sunday, Adams anticipated that the projected rise in COVID-19 cases next week will be “our Pearl Harbor moment” and “our 9/11 moment.”
Watch Adams’ remarks below:
The @Surgeon_General says African Americans are at higher risk for COVID-19 and revealed he has high blood pressure & a heart condition.
"I and many black Americans are at higher risk for COVID. That's why we need everyone to do their part to slow the spread." — @JeromeAdamsMD pic.twitter.com/J4VnOSmOfK
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) April 7, 2020
Talk about a GOP wet dream…
I don’t even want to think about how racist America will view (and propagandize) the virus in the light of this. The heartlessness will exponentially increase.
And you sir, are complicit in all of this. You have been lying not leading for three months. You went along with Trump, while Trump downplayed this, while he failed to prepare you were being a fascist boot-licker for the narcissist and took no action. When Nancy Messiner was sidelined, you said nothing.
Sorry, your “concern” is a little late to save your reputation, you sold your soul to the devil…
And P.s. the reason why African Americas are a higher risk of contracting the virus, is that they tend to work in Jobs where they are more exposed (much of the health care, and home health care staff is african-american, and African-americans work in high numbers in service sector jobs with public facing exposure) AND they have higher rates of underlying conditions, the result of poverty and lack of equal opportunity. But I don’t see you saying anything about these issues.
Your comments - by not firmly IDing the problem, and suggesting or implying there might be a genetic issue - which does not exist - just makes things worse.
Think you mean “complicit.”
“I’m a victim, not a perpetrator!”