NAACP’s ‘COVID. KNOW MORE’ initiative continues as Black America’s best defense and resource
This month, the nation marked a foreboding, record death toll: More than 5,230,000 deaths worldwide as a result of COVID-19. It’s a sad, painful and tragic milestone that signals the obvious: The coronavirus pandemic—here in the U.S. as well as around the globe—is far from over, and simply isn’t going away anytime soon. As Americans begin to ponder once again the safety of gathering with friends, families and loved ones for the holidays, infections once more are on the rise in multiple states. Although the Delta and Lambda variants are showing signs of a steady decline, the new and highly transmissible Omicron variant is emerging across the Atlantic as a cause for concern, and has now arrived in the U.S. Misinformation about the virus and the efficacy of the vaccines, coming from professional athletes and entertainment celebrities alike continues to be recklessly spread, and health professionals are issuing dire warnings about more spikes in cases looming this winter as people will likely choose to socialize indoors, with fewer following mask guidance in confined spaces. For African Americans, who place a high value on their traditional seasonal gatherings, the potential threat of contracting COVID-19 is even greater. Though the majority of eligible Black adults have been fully vaccinated (62 percent) and the numbers of children now being vaccinated also continues a consistent rise, reliable, credible information is still the primary battleground. Deep in the trenches still fighting this fight is the NAACP, which through its ‘COVID.KNOW MORE’ national initiative has been tirelessly working to deliver resources, timely research and data specific to the Black community that can be found nowhere else. “The specter of the COVID-19 pandemic has plagued our nation and the world for 20 long months now, but all of its devastating effects, whether health wise or economic, disproportionately impact our Black community,” states Derrick Johnson, NAACP president & CEO. “Trust the science, and trust the data. As we’ve worked hard to move African Americans toward a phase of recovery, our research shows that the concerns of experts are justified about the coming winter months. “Worries about the Delta […]
