African Americans impacted more by COVID-19, data shows

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — According to data, African Americans are being impacted by the coronavirus disproportionately and the numbers fluctuate depending on the county.

Focusing on Gaston County, it has had a total of 104 cases. African Americans have made up 29% of those cases, yet they only make up 18% of the county population.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon has been checking into these numbers and said most of the positive cases are in the county are in the 28054 ZIP code (Highland community just east of Highway 321.)

Health officials said most people in the community have fewer connections to health care resources and transportation issues that make it difficult to get to the help they need.

>> Have questions about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the Carolinas? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak -- CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Ken bumped into Sidney White walking along Highland Street. The father of two has a car, but it’s in the shop and he knows COVID-19 is closing in.

“It’s serious and it’s already starting up like close to home, too," said White.

Just about half of the positive cases of the coronavirus are in Gastonia and the Crowder’s Mountain area, and the majority of those cases are in White’s community. That put him at the center of the pandemic in Gaston County.

Channel 9 spoke to Donyel Barber, a city councilwoman and the community center health coordinator for Kintegra, the health system providing public assistance in Gaston County.

Barber said she was struck by the fact that black people make up less than a fifth of the county’s population, but a third of the positive cases.

She believes the number may be worse for black residents because they didn’t track race in the first few cases during the crisis.

“Going back, doing some research and look deeply into those numbers," said Barber.

She said Kintegra is in the early stages of acquiring COVID-19 tests and they are now working to turn mobile dental centers into mobile coronavirus testing centers. They will drive them to black communities throughout the city.

>> We’ll bring you LIVE updates on Channel 9 Eyewitness News. Get extended coverage on the free WSOC Now app on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV.

They are working with churches to keep members informed and direct people to the Highland Health Center.

People, Barber said, “Perhaps may not understand, how real, how dangerous and how critical it is that we get a handle on this."

The pastor of Friendship Christian church, John McCullough, said he will help, but also wanted to lobby for more health care resources in black communities in Gaston County.

“But what happens right now If we don’t do something to change the dynamics," said McCullough.

He plans to take the discussion to local and state leaders. He said underlying conditions make black people more susceptible to COVID-19 and want more preventative health measures in place.

As of Friday, North Carolina is reporting 5,859 cases. Officials don’t have the racial data for about 1,300 of those cases, but based on the data they do have, they can tell 55% of cases are white and 39% are black.

Yet, African Americans make up only 22% of the state’s population and whites make up 62%.

Coronavirus outbreak: What you need to know Coronavirus outbreak: What you need to know

© 2020 Cox Media Group