Expert explains why African-Americans with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19
As data on COVID-19 continues to pour in, one thing has become incredibly clear: As a whole, African-Americans are impacted more by the coronavivirus. Black Americans are infected with the virus and die from it at disproportionately higher rates than any other group in the U.S. There are many layers to this, but diabetes plays a role, according to Dr. Jennifer Caudle, family physician and an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Rowan University. Black Americans are “80 percent more likely than white people to have diabetes,” she says, adding, “that can put you at higher risk for severe complications from COVID-19.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifically lists people with diabetes as having a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 than the general population. “Diabetes is a condition that can affect your whole body in different ways,” Caudle explains, noting that it can impact your brain, eyes, heart, extremities and kidneys. And, when you add COVID-19 on top of possible complications from diabetes, there is the potential for severe illness from the virus. “When we talk about African-Americans, what we’ve seen is it’s almost compounded when we talk about COVID-19,” says Caudle. For example, the doctor points to data from Chicago that found that, while black residents make up just 30 percent of the city’s population, nearly 50 percent of those who have died from complications of COVID-19 in Chicago were African-American. That’s true in other areas, as well. “We are often making up a large percentage of those who are becoming severely ill with COVID-19 or dying from complications of COVID-19,” she says. There are many other reasons for the racial disparity in COVID-19 infections. “I often think of it as something that is like an iceberg,” says Caudle. “The top of the iceberg is the stuff above the water — African-Americans are 80 percent more likely to have diabetes.” But, she says, underneath the “iceberg” are other factors that can contribute to severe COVID-19 infections in this group: -African-Americans are more likely to not be able to work from home during the pandemic. -They’re more likely to be essential workers. -They’re more likely to need to take public transit. -They’re more likely to be underinsured. -They’re more likely to live further away from grocery stores and healthcare facilities. “COVID-19 is really shining a light on these health disparities,” Caudle says.
Video Transcript
JENNIFER CAUDLE: African Americans are 80% more likely than white people to have diabetes. That can put you at higher risk for severe complications from COVID-19. We have a shorter life expectancy than whites to begin with. We're now seeing COVID-19 disproportionately affect African Americans.
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Type 2 diabetes is a condition that really can affect your whole body in many different ways-- everything from your brain, your eyes, your heart, to your extremities, your kidney, et cetera. It is one of these conditions that does put you at higher risk for having severe COVID-19 complications. There's many reasons why this might be the case with diabetics. Now, we certainly know that people with controlled underlying illnesses may do better than those who don't have controlled illness. So we certainly want people's diabetes to be under control.
When we talk about African Americans in terms of diabetes, what we've seen then is this almost has been compounded when we get into the area of COVID-19. So while blacks may make up a small percentage of the population in certain cities and towns throughout the country, we are often making up a large percentage of those who are becoming severely ill with COVID-19 or dying from complications of COVID-19. Racial health disparities is something that's not new. I often think about it as being like an iceberg. You know, the top of the iceberg, I think of as the stuff above the water.
And what do we see? We see African Americans have higher rates of certain underlying medical conditions that put all people at risk for severe COVID-19 complications. But the iceberg part really comes into what's underneath the water-- that big chunk of iceberg that you can't see. African Americans are more likely to not be able to work from home during this pandemic. We're more likely to be essential workers, more likely to have to take public transportation. We're more likely to be under insured, maybe not had health insurance.
Actually, we're statistically more likely to live further away from grocery stores, as well as health care facilities. COVID-19 is really shining a light on these health disparities. They're bringing them back to the forefront, which is important. We need to always be working to make sure that all communities in our country have access to health care. We're becoming empowered even more so to take charge of our health, which is really crucial and what we need to do now and really all the time.
So things that people can do to really sort of stay on top of their diabetes is definitely regular doctor's office visits. Many doctors are doing telemedicine or telehealth. Keeping a healthy diet and exercising is very important as well. We know that is a mainstay and a key to controlling and helping to control type 2 diabetes. This is not necessarily a wake up call, but it's certainly a reminder to us to look at what risk factors we may have, so that we can stay as safe as possible.
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