Dr. Fauci says the coronavirus is 'shining a bright light' on 'unacceptable' health disparities for African Americans

Associated Press

• Dr. Anthony Fauci struck an emotional tone when discussing the disproportionate death toll facing African Americans from COVID-19 during Tuesday's White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.
• "And the reason I want to bring it up, because I couldn't help sitting there reflecting on how sometimes when you're in the middle of a crisis, like we are now with the coronavirus, it really does have, ultimately, shine a very bright light on some of the real weaknesses and foibles in our society," Fauci said.
• Fauci said mortality rates and ICU intubations are higher among African Americans because of a greater prevalence of "underlying medical conditions — the diabetes, the hypertension, the obesity, the asthma."
• Serving as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984, Fauci recalled the bulk of his career's work, which has focused on HIV/AIDS.
• " ... [I]f you go back then during that period of time when there was extraordinary stigma — particularly against the gay community — and it was only when the world realized how the gay community responded to this outbreak with incredible courage and dignity and strength and activism, that I think that really changed some of the stigma against the gay community, very much so."
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Dr. Anthony Fauci took time to look at the big picture of broader societal problems during Tuesday's White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing, delving into how African Americans have been harder hit by the coronavirus in terms of ICU intubations and a mounting death toll compared to the rest of the population.

In Chicago, more than half of all COVID-19 positive test results and 72% of virus-related deaths have been among African Americans, who make up just 32% of the city's population and 15% for the entire state of Illinois. 

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