Native Americans and COVID-19

Written by: Billie Marcheva

Photo credit: https://apnews.com/0227910d4339a262b5c0227ee0a5c157

            Few across the globe were prepared for the unprecedented outbreak of the dangerous and deadly coronavirus. The response time and approach are critical in how many lives are lost and how quickly the virus spreads. Some populations throughout the states are demanding that their states’ businesses be reopened, while others are dying alone in hospital beds because they’re too contagious to sit by their loved ones. The COVID-19 pandemic affects each group differently, and each community has a different challenge to face in overcoming it.

Some countries were prepared, such as South Korea, whose experience with the MERS outbrake taught health officials the importance of tailing the contaminated patients and limiting the spread early on. Their laws reflected this necessity and South Koream health officials were able to limit the spread of COVID-19 in their population extremely effectively (Braun). Andrés Braun writes that South Korea was successful due to their “transparency” and “use of latest technology” to track the spread of each affected person. Officials were serious in tracking and isolating individuals who tested positive and this helped them get the best of the deadly virus and limit the spread.

            That’s why the Indian Health Service’s approach is baffling in how it is moving forward with protecting Native American populations. According to Adam Cancryn, specialist in health journalism, the pandemic is not being handled adequately and is instead endangering the lives of Native American populations tenfold. He writes in a Politico article published at the end of March 2020:

“The Indian Health Service is instead relying largely on Native organizations and health facilities to track the virus and self-report their findings to the Trump administration – an inconsistent practice further complicated by minimal testing capabilities, outdated health technology and provider shortages that Native groups warn could vastly understate the crisis across tribal lands.”

Furthermore, once the United States open businesses back up and removes social distancing requirements, the Native Americans living in reservations could still be at risk if the coronavirus stays in their communities; their pandemic is far from over. Cancryn continues:

“That’s vexed public health experts, who say Native populations are particularly exposed to the risk of severe outbreaks, and worry that the virus could continue to spread throughout reservations long after President Donald Trump is ready to declare victory over the pandemic and move on. At that point, it will be critical to identify and isolate even small pockets of contagion to head off the potential for the virus re-enter larger populations and prolong the pandemic.”

The Coronavirus outbreak is uncharted territory, but the Native American community has been affected by similar health pandemics in the past - specifically, the Swine flu had a worse effect on Native Americans than other populations. Native Americans were “up to four times more likely to be hospitalized with the [Swine flu] virus” (Lyden). During the swine flu outbreak, 81 percent of Native Americans were considered part of a high risk category according to the CDC, which was a higher “risk for complications from flu compared to 78 percent of other racial and ethnic groups” (Lyden). If this is a predictor towards the effects of the Coronavirus, it is possible that Native Americans will require higher than average levels of support and healthcare in combating COVID-19.

Indeed, Cancryn echoes the concerns of journalist Lyden by nodding to the 2009 H1N1 influenza, explaining that “Native American children and adults had markedly higher rates of both death and disease — sometimes in some cases four to five times higher than the general U.S. population” (Cancryn). Specifically, “The stark reality, however, is that despite the 100 years separating the Spanish flu and H1N1 — and the decade between H1N1 and coronavirus — those risks are still just as prevalent for Native American and communities across the country facing similar challenges.”

The coronavirus, officially named COVID-19, is “an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in more than 100 locations internationally, including in the United States” (“Coronavirus”). In the midst of schools temporarily shutting down and other public facilities taking steps to control and prevent an outbreak, Native American communities are concerned with not being able to maintain real-time data or act quickly enough to respond adequately.

According to Dean Seneca, an executive director of Seneca Scientific Solutions and member of the Seneca Nation, Native American “health care systems are really not in place, nor do we have experts, as physicians and nurses that know or are familiar with this kind of foreign virus” (Bennett-Begaye). The impacts this potentially holds over Native American society could be disastrous. One alarming factor contributing to the increased risk associated with COVID-19 is the possibility of an individual being infected with the virus and not showing symptoms for up to 14 days, making quarantining and acting quickly more challenging.

The Navajo Nation started a Coronavirus preparedness team. The president, Jonathan Nez, believes education and information are of utmost importance, stating that “this is a very serious health concern and it’s vital that we continue to provide information with everyone, including students, elderly and community members.” The Navajo Nation’s COVID-19 preparedness team is careful to support its community without overwhelming panic. President Nez spoke out in a public statement, sharing that, “Our administration is taking proactive measures to continue raising public awareness and to plan and prepare for the potential spread of COVID-19 virus in our region. The provisions outlined in the travel advisory are intended to raise awareness, to educate our Navajo people, and not to create unnecessary hysteria” (Locke). More specifically concerning the outbreak, Nez advised tribal members to limit their international and inter-state travel to lower the chances of being exposed to the Coronavirus.

            Vox journalist Maria Givens points out that the coronavirus is “exacerbating vulnerabilities Native communities already face,” which points out the inequality already putting Native American communities at a disadvantage (Maria). Because of issues such as lack of clean water and overcrowding, Native Americans are at higher risk and do not have the same advantages in fighting the coronavirus or limiting its spread.


Sources:

Braun, Andrés Sánchez. “Commitment, Transparency Pay off as South Korea Limits COVID-19 Spread.” Www.euractiv.com, EURACTIV, 16 Mar. 2020, www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/commitment-transparency-pay-off-as-south-korea-limits-covid-19-spread/.

Cancryn, Adam. “Where Coronavirus Could Find a Refuge: Native American Reservations.” POLITICO, 28 Mar. 2020, 9:46 AM, www.politico.com/news/2020/03/28/native-americans-coronavirus-152579.

Ebb, Stephanie. “Indian Country Faces Higher Risks, Lack of Resources in COVID-19 Fight.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 3 Apr. 2020, abcnews.go.com/Politics/indian-country-faces-higher-risks-lack-resources-covid/story?id=69957760.

Bennett-Begaye, Jourdan. “'We Are Not Ready for This': Native American Tribes Struggle to Deal with Coronavirus.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Mar. 2020, www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2020/03/04/we-are-not-ready-this/.

“Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 11 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html.

Gargiulo, Joshua Gerard. “Tribal Officials Press for More, and More Predictable, Federal Funding.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Feb. 2020, www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2020/02/13/tribal-officials-press/.

“History.” Tribal Epidemiology Centers, tribalepicenters.org/history/.

Locke, Katherine. “Tribes Make Preparations for COVID-19, No Reported Cases on Hopi and Navajo Land.” Navajo-Hopi Observer News, 10 Mar. 2020, www.nhonews.com/news/2020/mar/10/tribes-make-preparations-covid-19-no-reported-case/.

Lyden, Jacki. “Native Americans Hit Hard By H1N1.” NPR, NPR, 21 Dec. 2009, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121712043.

Salazar, Martha. “Federal and State Recognized Tribes.” List of Federal and State Recognized Tribes, www.ncsl.org/research/state-tribal-institute/list-of-federal-and-state-recognized-tribes.aspx