Orville Taylor | COVID-19 needs to be taken seriously

My prayers are with the Trump family after President of the United States Donald Trump and his spouse Melania tested positive for the COVID-19 and are on watch for symptoms. It is not known if there are any adverse signs but we certainly do not want to hear that anyone at all, much less the most powerful man on earth, being ill.

Yet, that is the message and a very humbling one. For the past nine months, the gestation period of a human being, we have seen this new virus, which has wreaked havoc on humanity. Despite that, the message has not been clear enough, especially those coming from the influential and powerful. COVID-19 has a hit list that matches any Hollywood walk of fame. Actor Edris Elba, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and countless others.

In America, the new epicentre of the global pandemic, there have been 7.31 million confirmed cases. A stunning number. Of that sum, some 208,000 have died, thus a mortality rate of 2.8 per cent. The good news behind these statistics is that the average American, especially white people with money and good health insurance, have a 97 per cent chance of surviving the disease. Of course, the after-effects for some individuals are scary.

Whatever might have been the political value behind it, the American response to COVID-19 has been a case of disunity and like the other issues of race and ethnicity which have become more divisive over the past few years. We might wish to jump on to the Trump and speak of him fanning flames and not seeking to reduce the ever-widening chasm between the white powerful majority and minorities, including but not limited to African Americans.

However, it should not be forgotten that the Black Lives Matter movement came from out of the killing of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and others, while Barack Obama was president. The reality check is that Trump might have fertilised them but he did not sow the seeds of division inasmuch he has not sewn the schism in a society, which was built on historical inequalities and chronic fissures. America today is still America and much less of the ‘United’ States that they should be. Fixing the crack before it turns into the next Grand Canyon is an immediate priority.

DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED

True, COVID-19 has been a cruel culling tool. It has disproportionately affected black and other dark-skinned minorities, who have less access to healthcare, smaller houses, lower incomes, less health insurance. Moreover, black Americans have high incidences of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other comorbidities. As a consequence, their death rate from the virus is 2.6 times the national average. Their hospitalisation rate is 4.7 that of the average and their overall infection and spread rate is 2.1 that of the national figure.

When the data are more deeply examined on the basis of age, then COVID-19 is taking away tens of thousands of grannies, who are anchoring the already embattled African-American families.

Still, in all of these statistics, we know that we have two grumpy old men seeking to have control of the most powerful nation on earth. Trump is 74 years old and his adversary, Democrat nominee Joe Biden, is a ripe old 77. Whichever way you turn the numerals, he is a geriatric. This age group, despite the overall positive trends, has a high mortality rate. Trump’s age group has a death rate of 15+ per cent and Biden’s more than 21 per cent.

Digging to the next tier, Vice President Mike Pence is 61 and his age group’s numbers are over eight per cent. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is 56, and a mortality rate of just under four per cent.

Now, we are only talking about dying; not debilitation or possible permanent disabilities. When one adds other factors, such as obesity and cardiovascular health, the individual’s chances change downwards. Johnson is the same age as Harris. However, COVID-19 made him fight so hard, he fought in the past tense. He went to death’s door and even his back patio. Chuck Norris is 80 and fit as a fiddle. Nonetheless, using fists in martial arts is not the same as a casual back swing in an activity which Mark Twain calls “… a good walk spoiled”.

More worrisome is that, despite the exhortations of his medical team, many of Trump’s inner circle have been exposed. Indeed, given the hot air being exchanged between him and Biden last week, it is not inconceivable that Old Joe got a share of the Donald’s bug. Ironically, that might be the one thing which finally unites them.

Enough is enough! Trump’s infection must be a turning point or we will lose many more.

- Dr Orville Taylor is head of the Department of Sociology at The University of the West Indies, a radio talk-show host, and author of ‘Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets’. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.