Macomb Today

Recent analysis by Bridge Magazine in Michigan is showing a correlation between communities with larger African-American populations and the degree to which COVID-19 takes hold and causes illness and death in those communities.

The strongest comparison is in Detroit, where 79% of the population is African-American. Though only 7% of Michigan residents reside in Detroit, 25% of Michigan’s COVID-19 deaths have occurred in the city, as have 26% of the state’s confirmed coronavirus infections, according to Bridge.

Bridge found similar trends throughout the urban and suburban communities in the southeastern part of the state, where 80% of the state’s COVID-19 cases have been found.

“There is no question that the COVID-19 outbreak is having a more significant effect on marginalized and poorer communities, particularly communities of color,” said Michigan's chief medical executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, told Bridge.

Yet more affluent sections of those same communities are also showing high numbers, according to Bridge.

Experts looking at the spread and cause have noted that prevalence in Detroit could be due to the city serving as the epicenter of the spread into the state. Additionally, numbers of cases not appearing to be high in other communities could be a function of testing as well.

Dr. Vikas Parekh, associate chief clinical officer for the University of Michigan’s adult hospitals, calls the manner of spread in Michigan an "urban epicenter model."

“It spreads out of a dense urban environment and then radiates from there,” he told Bridge. “And so it started in the Detroit metro area as a dense urban environment, radiating out very similar to what we see in New York and other areas.”

Yet the predominantly white Detroit suburbs of Dearborn, Melvindale and Grosse Pointe Park have much lower rates of infection.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has raised concerns over what he considers an unfair spotlight on infections in his city.

“It’s been kind of disturbing to me to see stories written about ‘Why is Detroit a hot spot?’ with all kinds of theories about poverty and people not taking care of their health,” Duggan said Wednesday.

Duggan continued, “One of the wealthiest communities in New York, New Rochelle, had the first major outbreak on the East Coast. Middlesex County in Massachusetts — a very well-off county — has a significant outbreak of coronavirus.”