Being African American and Rural: A Double Jeopardy From COVID‐19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID‐19 outbreak a pandemic. Currently, the United States has the highest number of officially reported COVID‐19 cases and deaths in the world. As of April 6, 2020, more than two‐thirds of rural US counties had been affected, including the rural southeastern states where lockdowns had been delayed.1, 2 Although all population groups are affected, racial/ethnic minorities have borne the brunt of the pandemic, especially African Americans.2 In Louisiana, 72% of deaths related to COVID‐19 are African Americans, who comprise only 32% of the population.3 Similar disproportionately high death rates in African American communities are being reported in other states like Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Carolina.4