Why is COVID-19 Especially Impacting the African American Population?

The physiopathological susceptibility to severe COVID-19 infection in the African American (AA) population can be summarized as a multifactorial, “triple curse” process, involving the possible coexistence of hypertension, obesity and/or overweight, and type 2 diabetes, although AA status itself may not be an independent reason for worse outcomes. The combination of these three co-morbidities would likely increase the vulnerability to COVID-19, potentially resulting in a “perfect storm,” ending up with dramatic consequences. Likewise, socioeconomic racial disparities also make AAs more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The AA population appears globally more vulnerable to severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, thus displaying an enhanced risk of severe complications and needing specific precautions and reinforced preventing measures. We herein recommend that high-risk members of AA population with multiple comorbidities should strongly consider social distancing during the outbreak, managing to avoid exposure to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, following their national guidance for vulnerable people living with chronic diseases. Strengthened education on the most frequent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection shall also be pursued, so that an earlier diagnosis and a more aggressive treatment could be established to safeguard these especially vulnerable part of the population.