The Telltale Signs of a Tripledemic and How to Protect You and Your Family

Since March 11, 2020, when the WHO declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to be a pandemic, the virus has spread rapidly through the US. While the COVID-19 virus affects the entire country, reports indicate that the African American community across the country and in Florida will be significantly impacted by the pandemic. Based on projections, we expect that the effects will be long-lasting.

Please visit the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 web page for state and national information: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/.

Research shows that minorities are disproportionately affected by the disease. Blacks or African Americans are more than twice as likely to die from exposure to the virus. Each death creates a void in the families that are impacted. The loss in economic productivity of working aged adults can have severe consequences in a family’s finances for generations. The loss of the family’s elders, in a community where the older generations may be heavily involved in raising children threatens to derail the youngest members of our community. The untimely death of a family’s youngest members robs our community of that child’s future contribution to the world.

In addition to the health disparities that expose the African American community to a greater risk of poor outcomes from the disease, research shows that Blacks and African Americans face an economic inequalities that make us more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic-induced recession.

While this is challenging, there are steps that our community must take to fight COVID-19.

1. Rely on trusted sources for information. Count on black media to inform and educate the public, and especially our community.
2. Follow the prevention tips issued by the CDC.
   1. Wash your hands often
   2. Practice social distancing
   3. Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when you might get within 6ft of others
   4. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
   5. Monitor the health of you and your family to isolate from others if necessary
3. Continue to support black business when you can.