By Harolyn Belcher
I am a physician and researcher who has devoted my career to the prevention and treatment of developmental disabilities in childhood and public health. I’m writing to speak to our community. As we celebrate many faith traditions and reflect during this holy season, it is important to acknowledge the importance of caring for ourselves and caring for others.
Each of us is an important part of the community. We have multiple roles as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, partners, friends, teachers, nurses, mechanics, bus drivers, clerks, cooks, doctors, lawyers, legislators, community activists, custodians, worship leaders, administrators, childcare workers, first responders, business owners, government workers and students.
We each have a role to play. As the cases of coronavirus rise, some have been asked to stay home and care for children and elders. Others have been asked to care for the sick and continue to provide essential services to our communities like food, medication, healthcare, security, and a clean environment for each of us.
Dr. Harolyn Belcher is the director of the Center for Diversity in Public Health Leadership Training and president of Kennedy Krieger Institute’s medical staff. (Courtesy Photo)
What we must do for ourselves is stay informed. Early data on 79.7 percent of the coronavirus infections in Maryland shows that Black citizens make up almost half (48.8 percent) of the coronavirus cases. The Black population in Maryland is 30.9 percent, yet half of the deaths (50.2 percent) from known racial groups in Maryland are Black people. Black citizens in Maryland, similar to other recently reported areas, have significantly higher numbers of Coronavirus infections and deaths compared to other racial groups. It is note-worthy that early data suggest that Black and White people have similar death rates (3.2 percent for the Black population and 3.6 percent for the White population). Available data by race, estimates a death rate of 4.2 percent among Asian-American Marylanders. These are early data and some of the trends may change and vary across the state of Maryland. We must continue to stay informed as more information is available.
However, we do know what we must do for ourselves and what we must do for others. Stay safe in place with family members. Unless you are working in the health, food, first responder or transportation services, stay in your home. Limit trips outside the home to food, medicine, daily exercise (walking by yourself or with household members) or emergencies. Try to stock up on food and supplies to reduce trips outside of the home. Enjoy your family!
It is critical now to reduce illness and death among those we love. Stay at least six feet away from people outside of the family and household members who you live with. This virus is “tricky!” Almost half of infected people do not have symptoms, or have mild symptoms, so you cannot tell who is sick! Wave hello, but keep away. Keep in touch with your friends and family via phone, Facetime and Skype. This is what we must do for ourselves and what we must do for others.
When you go outside for exercise, food or other necessities wear a mask or scarf over your nose and mouth. Keep your hands away from your face. Masks and scarfs keep you from spreading germs. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash hands with soap and water. Sing Happy Birthday twice while you, wash hands with soap and water!
If you, or a family member needs medical care that is NOT urgent, ask your provider if they offer appointments via telehealth. Many providers, like Kennedy Krieger Institute, offer medical and therapy appointments online, via telehealth so you don’t need to leave your home.
Finally, be hopeful—we will get through this together if we take care of ourselves and our neighbors. Take time for yourselves to breathe deeply, read, meditate and pray. These are free activities which strengthen our health, wellness and immune system. This is what we must do for ourselves and what we must do for others!
Resources may be found at the Kennedy Krieger Institute website as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention with an article on daily life and coping. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a section where you can find critical updates on COVID-19. More information on how to better help, protect and inform your family from the 2019 novel Coronavirus can be found on Healthychildren.org and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has a guide, Talking to Children About Coronavirus (COVID19). There are additional resources such as the Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope With the Coronavirus Disease 2019 provided by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).
Harolyn Belcher, MD, MHS is the director at the Center for Diversity in Public Health Leadership Training and president of Kennedy Krieger Institute’s medical staff.
Table 1. Maryland Data on Available Cases and Deaths by Race:
| Race | Number of COVID-19 Cases | Number of Deaths |
| African-American | 3,202 | 104 |
| Asian | 190 | 8 |
| White | 2,305 | 83 |
| Other | 861 | 12 |
| Data Not Available | 1,667 | 28 |
Accessed April 13, 2020 from coronavirus.maryland.gov/
Harolyn Belcher, MD, MHS is the director at the Center for Diversity in Public Health Leadership Training and president of Kennedy Krieger Institute’s medical staff.
The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO.
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