Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the House Energy and Commerce Committee “institutional racism” factored into the spread of coronavirus and added, “I cannot imagine that has not contributed.”
“We know from a lot of experience now that the situation regarding whether you have serious consequences — hospitalizations, intubation, complications, and death — relate very strongly to the prevalence and incidence of underlying, comorbid conditions, which are clearly, disproportionately more expressed in the African American population,” Fauci told the committee.
Fauci said he thought “institutional racism” played a role in the disproportionate effect that the disease has on Black people.
“Obviously, the African American community has suffered from racism for a very, very long period of time, and I cannot imagine that has not contributed to the conditions they find themselves in economically and otherwise.”
Surgeon General Jerome Adams and other health officials have cautioned that people of color are impacted more severely by coronavirus. Adams drew criticism in April when he warned Black and Latino people to stop consuming alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
“Do it for your abuela, do it for your grandaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop pop,” Adams said.