Swine flu death rates higher for Black, Latino children than Whites

Health & Fitness
Swine flu death rates higher for Black, Latino children than Whites
By Nicole Austin NNPA Special Correspondent
Updated Dec 21, 2009 - 9:16:40 AM

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Black and Hispanic children have suffered higher proportional death rates from the H1N1 virus (swine flu) than their White counterparts.

According to the Center for Disease Control, Black and Hispanic children have a greater number of H1N1 deaths since the epidemic started sweeping the nation last March. The agency is not clear about the reason for the disparities. “Blacks and Hispanics are represented in a greater proportion among seasonal and H1N1 deaths in children, than their representation in the U.S. population,” says a report from the CDC, released to the NNPA News Service. “The reasons for more severe outcomes among Black and Hispanics are unknown but may be related to the frequency of underlying conditions that increase the risk for influenza complications in that population or the timing of medical care and or treatment … This racial ethnic disparity requires further study.”

In the most recent numbers acquired, from Sept. 1 to the end of October, Black children made up 32 percent of the children who had died from the virus although they comprise only about 12 percent of the nation's population of children. Hispanic children made up 21 percent of children who had died although they make up only 15 percent of the nation's population of children. On the other hand, White children, who make up 67 percent of the nation's population of children, made up only 25 percent of the children who had died.

The rate of death for regular seasonal flu among Black, Hispanic and White children is also racially disparate—at 18 percent, 25 percent, and 42 percent respectively.

Dr. Louis Sullivan, former president and founder of the Morehouse School of Medicine, agrees with the CDC about possible threats from “underlying conditions.” Bad nutrition, asthma, diabetes, obesity among Black and Hispanic youth and disproportionately poor overall health are ongoing problems, he said. Therefore a serious virus like H1N1 have more severe affects, he added.

For example, Dr. Sullivan said the combination of asthma and H1N1 and also seasonal flu, can lead to death.

“African-Americans and Hispanics have a high concentration in low-income neighborhoods,” Mr. Sullivan said. “Poor communities have higher incidents of asthma. (It) is one condition that increases susceptibility to influenza.”

Please read more at http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/printer_6687.shtml

The Beard

Beards

By Messenger Elijah Muhammad

Reprinted from Muhammad Speaks Newspaper

There are a lot of people who have a lot of beards. For some reason or another they go around with a bearded face. I do not question the reason why you want these beards. However I do say that they are germ-carriers. They catch germs. When a man drinks water, milk or any other liquid, he has to be awfully careful that he wipes his mouth and the beard around his mouth. Anytime he tries to drink some liquid out of his glass, he cannot get the liquid into his mouth without getting his beard in it.

THE BEARD is no more clean than the surface of your clothes which is exposed to filth of all kind. This is why we wear clothes; it is to clothe our bodies against things that would make our bodies unclean. To cover our face with hair serves the same purpose for the face. The beard catches all that would light upon the face. It is more troublesome to clean a beard than it is to clean the skin of the face from which the beard is grown. We can easily cleanse a clean-shaven face with soap and water. Some people wear beards to emphasize their holiness. Others wear beards for style or for disguise or because they want to be noticed as a distinguish himself from others or according to some office that he holds. Regardless to the reason, I want to set forth in these words, that the beard is unsanitary. People just wear them to be distinguished one from the other. If I were you, I would leave them off and try to keep my face clean. Imagine your wife, trying to find her way to your mouth, in order to kiss you, through all of that beard. She would be kissing beards before she got to your mouth. Maybe she could pick up a germ, with which you are not acquainted. One that had lodged in your beard. Beards would be fine if you wanted a basket for germ-catching.

IN WINTER...in cold frigid zones like the one of Chicago, Illinois and Michigan...these are cold zones that we have here in North America, North of the Ohio River, except far west...which is warmer. We are living in cold zones and have zero weather with snow, ice and sleet. When the least liquid hits these beards they freeze up, without the wearer knowing it. He had better not be a tobacco-chewer trying to expectorate in zero and sub-zero weather.

I AM against wearing beards. I am against men wearing long hair like women. This is also traditional of the time of Moses. When the white man came out of the cave, he was full of hair. Hair covered his whole body and face. He had no barber-shop. They did not have such tools as we have today. But we see how they go today. Most of them are clean-shaven except those who want to distinguish themselves like Rabbi's and priests. However, most priests are clean-shaven...even the Pope of Rome. Every now and then we find some who want to wear long beards. They wear them but that does not mean that the beard is sanitary. They house germs. I will not wear such germ-catchers and I will not tolerate with my followers wearing such germ-catchers. HERE OF late there has been a great upsurging of the Black Man...old and young men also, coming out with a face covered with beard.

YOUNG BROTHER, it does not make you look modern when you let your hair down on your neck and shoulders. They let their hair grow when there was no barber-shop or barber who could trim people's hair. Cut off that pillow of hair behind your head, at the nape of your neck and trim your hair-line around the back of your neck, like the modern man. When you let the hair of the face and head grow long, you are wearing the style of ancient traditional people and you are not classified with the modern man of today. If we desire to look distinct from other people, let us have something that the world will admire and not something which was the tradition of our people before these modern times.

ALLAH (God) even said that He would bring a new heaven and a new earth, Is:65:17 to get rid of the stale world. PROPHETS, of the Bible, say He will make all things new, Bible Rev. 21:1, and that we should love that thing which He made new. I certainly am one who loves it. I do not want to return to a traditional garb of my fathers before four hundred (400) years ago. I am not going to adopt any of those jungle styles of our people. I ASK you, if you would like to be a modern man, get away from trying to imitate the non-modern man.