African Americans at risk for coronavirus. Why won’t Jackson County release race data?
After initially declining to release racial data on coronavirus patients, the Kansas City Health Department did the right thing, providing details about the race, ZIP codes and City Council districts of the residents who have tested positive.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services also has begun publishing racial data on coronavirus patients.
But in Jackson County, essential information has been much harder to come by.
Jackson County Executive Frank White prefers secrecy, even when public health is in peril. White indefensibly asked the county health department not to release demographic case information by ZIP code in eastern Jackson County.
“I fear that on the back side of this epidemic will exist another opportunity for redlining in the districts with high case numbers,” White said in a statement.
The county executive said African American residents could be rejected for services and charged higher insurance premiums in the aftermath of this pandemic.
As of Sunday, eastern Jackson County had reported 225 positive cases of coronavirus and seven deaths. Race and ZIP code data were not released.
But White is harming — not helping — African American residents by withholding vital data. Releasing crucial information about where COVID-19 cases are rapidly multiplying and which demographic groups are at the greatest risk is essential to helping the public understand the very real threat posed by the coronavirus. Nothing will be gained by keeping Jackson County residents in the dark.
As Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said, releasing the numbers “would only help and reflect the seriousness with which we need to take this virus.”
In Kansas City and across the country, minorities are dying from COVID-19 at an alarming — and disproportionate — rate, according to early data. Detailed demographic and geographic information is critical to understanding and addressing the disparities.
In Kansas City, 50% of those who have tested positive for the coronavirus are black, health department director Rex Archer said. African Americans account for only 30% of the city’s population.
The first 12 coronavirus-related deaths in St. Louis were all African Americans.
In Louisiana, Illinois and Michigan, black patients accounted for 40% to 70% of coronavirus deaths. The African American population in those states was between 15% and 32%.
Other health departments around the country have released extensive data by ZIP code. Jackson County should do the same.
Early this month, officials in St. Louis City and County began providing that information to the public. The state of Missouri and Kansas City eventually began releasing additional data, revealing stark disparities and showing that black residents in Kansas City’s Third City Council District had been hit hard.
As of Tuesday, at least 55 people residing in the district had tested positive for coronavirus, the highest number among six City Council districts, the health department reported.
Some 60% percent of residents there are black. African Americans with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to the virus.
“Anytime you are trying to understand the severity of an issue and how to respond — race, gender, age — all of it becomes important,” Third District Councilwoman Melissa Robinson told The Star Editorial Board. “Not just geographical data.”
Frank White suggests he’s somehow helping African American residents by refusing to release coronavirus data.
But with lives on the line, providing more information is imperative to protecting public health.