CALLS OUT THE RACIAL DIVIDE OF
COVID-19 IN MILWAUKEE SAYING,
QUOTE, "THE DATA THAT WE DO HAVE
HAS REVEALED DISTURBING PATTERNS
SHOWING THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN
RESIDENTS WERE TWICE AS LIKELY
AS WHITE RESIDENTS TO CONTRACT
THE DISEASE."
MARISA WOJCIK BRINGS US THE
STORY BEHIND THE NUMBERS.
>> SOME ARE SAYING COVID-19
ISN'T RACIST, BUT IT IS
OPPORTUNIST, AND A NEW REPORT
OUT OF UW-MILWAUKEE BRINGS
CONTEXT TO THAT STATEMENT.
>> WE HAD SOME DATA THAT WAS
ALREADY SHOWING THAT THERE WERE
THESE RACIAL DISPARITIES.
>> THE REPORT'S AUTHOR, JOEL
RAST, SAYS THE DATA SHOWS THE
RACIAL DIVIDE OF THE DISEASE IN
MILWAUKEE, LOOKING AT NUMBERS ON
A GEOGRAPHIC LEVEL.
>> SO THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE
VERY MUCH SEGREGATED
NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO BY LOOKING AT THE
GEOGRAPHY, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE
CASES ARE CLUSTERING, WE CAN SEE
VERY QUICKLY WHETHER THOSE CASES
ARE, YOU KNOW, LOCATED IN BLACK
AREAS OF THE CITY OR THE COUNTY
OR IN MOSTLY WHITE AREAS.
>> MANY OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS
ARE ON MILWAUKEE'S NORTH SIDE.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID BOWEN
SERVES MANY OF THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> AND UNDERSTANDING WITHIN A
SEVEN-DAY TIME FRAME THE NUMBERS
OF CONTRACTIONS WENT UP
THREEFOLD.
>> THE VIRUS TAKES ADVANTAGE OF
SITUATIONS THAT DON'T ALLOW FOR
SOCIAL DISTANCING, LIKE WORKING
IN THE SERVICE SECTOR OR LIVING
IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH MULTIPLE
PEOPLE.
>> ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, ACCESS
TO GOOD HEALTH CARE.
>> FOLKS IN MY COMMUNITY DEAL
WITH THESE OTHER PREEXISTING
CONDITIONS ARE HAVING A MUCH
TOUGHER TIME.
>> THE RELATIONSHIP I HAVE WITH
MY DOCTOR WAS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT AND VERY HELPFUL
BECAUSE HE WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF
THINGS, GETTING ME TESTED,
GETTING ME ADMITTED TO THE
HOSPITAL.
SO THAT WAS A BIG PLUS.
AND I SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY, OUR
BLACK COMMUNITY, WE DON'T HAVE A
LOT OF THAT.
>> ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN
BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT DIFFERENTLY
NOW AS A RESULT OF THIS ILLNESS
TO BEGIN ADDRESSING SOME OF
THESE INEQUALITIES.
>> THIS DOES NOT END THE STORY
ABOUT US.
THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF JUST
HOW MUCH THAT WE HAVE BEEN
THROUGH.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
MARISA WOJCIK.
>> IF WE END UP GETTING THE
SUPPORT AND THE HELP, OR WE HAVE
TO DO IT ON OUR OWN, WE WILL GET