Surgeon General Warns African Americans ‘Are at a Higher Risk’ for Coronavirus

The Surgeon General has said African Americans are at a greater risk for Covid-19. Jerome Adams warned that everyone needed to help slow the spread of the disease.

Adams told CBS This Morning that testing was still a major issue. The Trump administration has responded poorly to criticize about testing this week.

“Testing is a concern,” the Surgeon General said.

“We’re going to be at 2 million tests this week and it’s rapidly ramping up with the commercial industry coming on board. We’re also seeing more people doing antibody testing.”

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Adams said he had spoken with the administration’s testing czar.

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“He assures me by the end of this month we should not only be doing diagnostic testing but also doing surveillance testing across the country.”

“At 2 million people by the end of this week, we’re getting really close to South Korea’s initial testing surge numbers.”

Adams said he had underlying conditions that put him at risk. He explained that African Americans could be particularly affected by the disease because of differing ‘health equity.’

“I represent that legacy of growing up poor and black in America,” he said.

“I and many black Americans are at higher risk for COVID,” Adams went on.

“It’s why we need everyone to do their part to slow the spread.”

The Surgeon General urged people to stay at home and practice social distancing. This will ‘protect their neighbors’, he said.

“It is working,” Adams said. “We will get through this. We are seeing progress but America has the power to change the trajectory of this epidemic. The public really needs to keep doing their part.”

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Darragh Roche

Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media