Holding up his own inhaler during a news briefing on Friday with President Trump, United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams spoke on the factors based on data from the Center of Disease Control that confirmed the reasons why Black people are disproportionately more susceptible to the novel coronavirus.
“I’ve been carrying around an inhaler in my pocket for 40 years, out of fear of having a fatal asthma attack,” said the 45 year old Adams as he held up his inhaler. “I more immediately share it so that everyone knows it doesn’t matter if you look fit, if you look young, you are still at risk for getting and spreading and dying from coronavirus.”
According to the Atlanta-based CDC, African Americans make up the overwhelming majority of most coronavirus cases in the country’s “hot spots”, a factor that was acknowledged by several members of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force. Adams also added that that many African Americans and Hispanics do not have the types of jobs that allow them to telework or remain at home.
The Surgeon General says that there is no scientific basis to believe that Black and Brown people are more biologically or genetically susceptible to COVID-19, but instead are “socially predisposed to coronavirus exposure, and have a higher incidence of the very diseases that put you at risk for severe complications of coronavirus.”
Adams reiterated that it was even more incumbent of everyone from the African American and Hispanic communities to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the task force.
“Speaking of mothers, we need you to do this, if not for yourself, then for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop-pop.“
