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Coronavirus Latest: Minorities Face Higher Threat Of Dying From COVID-19, Health Experts Say

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Health experts say it appears some people are more at risk of dying from the virus than others. Leaders are once again pleading with everyone to take this pandemic seriously.

The COVID-19 pandemic still has a tight grip on the U.S., infecting people in all 50 states. But one group of Americans is more susceptible to the virus.

"It's showing up very strongly in our data - on the African-American community. And we're doing everything in our power to address this challenge. It's a tremendous challenge. It's terrible," President Donald Trump said.

In Michigan, 14% of the population is black, but they make up 41% of coronavirus deaths.

In Illinois, 15% of the population is African-American or black, but they account for 43% of deaths.

And in Louisiana, 32% of the population is black, but they account for roughly 70% of deaths in that state.

"When you look at the predisposing conditions that lead to a bad outcome with the coronavirus, the things that get people into ICU's that require intubation and often lead to death, they are just those very comorbidities that are unfortunately disproportionally prevalent in the African-American population," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.

In Philadelphia, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says of the city's 528 confirmed cases of COVID-19, in which race or ethnicity has been reported, 46% are African-American.

That's compared to 37% white, 10% Hispanic and 3% Asian.

"I want to emphasize that this virus does not discriminate. Every racial and ethnic group, indeed every person in this city is at risk. We all need to be very serious about social distancing and other recommendations to keep residents healthy and slow the spread of the virus," Dr. Farley said.

The federal government hasn't counted the coronavirus deaths by race, but the Surgeon General and the American Medical Association are suggesting this should be done.

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