Increased testing could combat coronavirus race gap, DHEC says
Health providers are working to increase coronavirus testing in vulnerable communities, hoping to combat a disparity that has opened up in cases between white and black South Carolinians.
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the Palmetto State nears 5,000, officials are highlighting a stark contrast emerging in the data. African Americans make up 42% of cases and 57% of deaths, despite making up about 26% of the state population.
On a call to discuss the disparity Friday, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said the Department of Health and Environmental Control wants to expand testing throughout the community to get a better handle on how widespread COVID-19 really is.
Initially, DHEC kept a tight lid on testing because of concerns about limited supplies, using kits to confirm the most serious cases and ensure essential health care workers weren’t carrying the disease. Now, Bell said the department has more testing capacity than it is using.
“Now, we’re expanding testing in the community for people who have symptoms,” Bell told a call that included local elected leaders, nonprofits and members of the medical community.
Vince Ford with Prisma Health said the health system, which operates three major hospitals in the Columbia area, is looking at opportunities to expand testing in rural communities that otherwsie lack easy access to care. Groups like the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center are also deploying mobile units in order to reach residents where they live.
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin hopes continued discussions between local governments and other sectors can help narrow the gap.
“It’s very encouraging, especially with federal funds becoming available,” Benjamin said. “It’s a dual challenge, dealing with the density of the metropolitan areas, but also rural areas with no public health infrastructure.”
The mayor said expanded access to local care has to be paired with access to information and personal protective equipment, especially for essential workers who have no choice to stay at home.
African Americans are especially susceptible to complications from the coronavirus because they tend both to have less access to quality health care and higher rates of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension, which can worsen the virus’ effects.
“It’s no surprise that African Americans, who suffer disproportionately from those problems, would also disproportionately be affected by COVID-19,” Bell said. “It’s not that they have an increased risk of exposure, it’s that they have an increased risk of complications after exposure.”
Nonprofit leader Kassy Alia said the success of increased testing will depend on building bridges with communities that often lack trust in the institutions seeking to fight the virus’s spread.
“When we talk to people, it’s not that they don’t understand the importance of this virus, it’s that there’s not a lot of hope in why they should continue to engage,” Alia said. She recommends identifying “natural leaders” who can act as a bridge in the community.
But Bell warns that more testing may also lead to an increase in the number of confirmed cases in South Carolina, even as the state moves away from its COVID peak.
“That’s an expected finding,” she said.
Increased testing will help officials get a better handle on the disease, but it won’t necessarily make it easier to reopen businesses and other public places, Bell warns. All a negative test means is an individual did not have the virus at the time the test was done — not that they’re immune and can’t catch the disease once they come into contact with others.
“We need to test for antibodies to determine immunity, and unfortunately we don’t have the ability to do that yet,” she said.
On Friday’s call, Dr. Lindsey Crumlin summarized his advice for preventing COVID-19 in a few short sentences.
“No test? No vaccine?” Crumlin said. “Stay home. Quarantine.”
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