May 31, 2020
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 25, Issue 19
“Our vote and our money are the two most powerful things we have. Be careful who you give them to.” - Roy Douglas Malonson
By: N.L. Preston
‘WE MUST SAVE LIVES NOW’
HOUSTON - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has always been a handson leader for the people of Houston, but these days, she can be seen front and center at community events and press conferences, leading the charge in demanding more testing in the fight against COVID-19. It’s a personal mission, as data released shows that Black Americans are dying from the virus at disproportionately high rates. The current number of known cases in the United States is an estimated 1.7 million and deaths are nearing 100,000. A recent study, “The Color of Coronavirus: COVID-19 Deaths by Race and Ethnicity in the
CONGRESSWOMAN LEADING CHARGE FOR MORE COVID-19 TESTING
U.S.,” shows that more than 20,000 Black Americans are known to have lost their lives to COVID-19 through mid-May. The latest overall COVID-19 mortality rate for Black Americans is 2.4 times as high as the rate for Whites and 2.2 times as high as the rate for Asians and Latinos. A better breakdown analysis shows: • 1 in 2,000 Black Americans has died (or 50.3 per 100,000) • 1 in 4,300 Asian and Latino Americans has died (or 22.7 and 22.9, respectively, per 100,000)
• 1 in 4,700 White Americans has died (or 20.7 per 100,000) In the State of Texas, we have nearly 55,000 cases overall and 1,500 deaths reported, and Harris County has more than 10,000 known cases and more than 200 deaths. With these statistics in mind, Jackson Lee is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to getting the people in her district the resources they need. “Test kits and diagnostic testing in one of the largest and most diverse nations in the world is vital toward measuring and prevent-
ing community spread. We must save lives now! As we begin to study the next steps, employers and local governments must consider and require everyone to get tested,” Jackson Lee said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently spoke on the topic of COVID-19 and African Americans at a White House press briefing. “Health disparities have always existed for the African American community,” Fauci said. “Here again with the crisis, how it’s shining a bright light on how
unacceptable that is because, yet again, when you have a situation like the coronavirus, they are suffering disproportionately.” Fauci noted the health issues that are hampering African Americans. “The diabetes, hypertension, the obesity, the asthma — those are the kinds of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give them a higher death rate,” he said. Another issue tied to health issues is lack of health coverage. Data shows 11% of Blacks are uninsured, against the national rate of
7% in 2017. Some Blacks don’t know they have these underlying issues because, with less access to health insurance, some conditions remain undiagnosed until it’s too late. Due to the lack of resources, Jackson Lee is making sure testing is free, and available for everyone. There are more than two dozen testing sites across the area, thanks, in part, to funds from donors. “I was driven to bring testing to Houston because COVID-19 was more contagious than any other virus we had seen in our lifetime. On March 19, we opened one of the first testing sites in the nation that required no charge and no pre-registration, in a
Testing on page 3
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC SPACES OR EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK UP • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE