E OF 7.3 ♪ 122 MILLION AMERICANS ARE
LIVING WITH DIABETES AND PEOPLE
WITH DIABETES FACE A HIGHER
CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING SERIOUS
COMPLICATIONS FROM
COVID-19 AS JACKSONVILLE OPENS
AT MORE TESTING SITES FOR THE
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THE AMERICAN DIABETES
ASSOCIATION IS PUSHING MORE
CITIES TO FOLLOW SUIT.
JOINING ME NOW WITH MORE IS THE
PRESIDENT CEO OF A DA TRACY
BROWN TRACY THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
>> IN MORNING. THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME.
>>JENNIFER READY: WHEN IT COMES
TO COVID-19 AND WE TALK ABOUT
THE RISKS AND POTENTIAL
COMPLICATIONS, WHAT DO THOSE
LOOK LIKE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
DIABETES.
>> IT WAS LIVING WITH
OR ANY OTHER
UNDERLYING CONDITION. IF THEY
CONTRACT COVID-19 THERE IS A
HIGHER LIKELIHOOD THAT THE
OUTCOMES WILL BE WORSE
FOR THEM. AND SO THAT IS WHAT
THE ISSUE IS AND WHEN YOU LOOK
AT SOME OF THE DATA COMING OUT
OF
THE STATES. YOU WILL SEE SOME
STATES REPORTING TO THE UPWARDS
OF 40% AND THE
COVID-19 DEATHS HAVE BEEN
PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD DIABETES.
SO THIS IS QUITE TROUBLING DATA
AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
TO RAISE THE AWARENESS IN THE
CONSCIOUSNESS OF PEOPLE LIVING
WITH DIABETES. THEY MUST
MUST MUST FOLLOW
THAT PRECAUTIONS. RIGHT MAKING
SURE THAT YOU’RE MANAGING YOUR
SUGARS AND YOUR BLOOD
GLUCOSE LEVEL MAKING SURE THAT
YOU’RE FOLLOWING
SOCIAL-DISTANCING MAKING SURE
THAT YOU’RE WEARING A MASK ALL
OF THOSE THINGS TO HELP PREVENT
YOU CONTRACTING COVID I T.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND TRACY
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE RISKS
HOW
IMPORTANT IS TESTING IN LOW
INCOME AND HIGH RISK
COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE SEEN SOME
OF THAT TESTING HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE IN SOME OF THOSE
LOW INCOME AREAS.
YES, SO.
>> THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
WHICH IS WHY THE AMERICAN
DIABETES ASSOCIATION IS OUT
ACTUALLY
ASKING EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE TESTING THAT WE DO
HAVE TO GET INTO THESE
COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IN ADDITION
TO THE TROUBLING DATA ARE OUT PEOPLE WITH DIABETES. WE’RE ALSO
SEEING COMING OUT OF THE STAGE
FROM THE DATA IS THAT A HIGH
NUMBER OF PEOPLE
OF COLOR. ACTUALLY DIE FROM
COVID-19
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WE
NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE GETTING INTO THE
COMMUNITIES TO ACTUALLY DO
THIS TESTING. YOU’VE HEARD AND
PROBABLY OF SEEN ON TV. THERE
ARE LOTS OF OF PLACES THAT ARE
DOING THESE
DRIVE-THRU CLINIC. BUT IF YOU
DON’T HAVE A CAR HOW ARE YOU
GOING TO GET THROUGH THE
DRIVE-THRU CLINICS WE’VE SEEN
PEOPLE DOING A TELE CLINICS IN
ALL OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS
BUT IF YOU DON’T
HAVE ACCESS. THEN IT’S NO GOOD
SO THAT IS WHY WE’RE SAYING
IT’S
SO IMPORTANT TO GET THE TESTING
ACTUALLY IN THE COMMUNITIES
WHERE THE HIGH-RISK
INDIVIDUALS.
>> ARE LIVING.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND THAT’S
JUST ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU
GUYS ARE REALLY ENCOURAGING
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
OTHER CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE
FACING THOSE WITH DIABETES WHEN
IT COMES TO GETTING MEDICAL
CARE DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
>> YES SO WHAT’S INTERESTING I
YOU KNOW DIABETES WITH AN EPIDEMIC IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE WORLD WELL BEFORE THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
IN WHAT COVID-19 IS DOING IS
SHINING
A LIGHT AND LARRY LIGHT ON A
PROBLEM THAT ALREADY EXISTED
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I HAVE WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR
IS HOW DO WE ACTUALLY REDUCE
SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT EXIST
SUCH THAT PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES CAN CONTINUE TO THRIVE THROUGH
THIS PANDEMIC AND SO IN
ADDITION TO GETTING THE TESTING
TO THE COMMUNITIES. THE OTHER
THING THAT WE’RE PUSHING
RIGHT NOW IS DURING THIS TIME
FRAME OF THIS PENDING ANY THAT
WE HAVE ASKED
ALL GOVERNORS. AND AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL TO DO 0 CO PAY
FOR INSULIN IN ANY PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS AS WE KNOW NOW ARE OVER
30 MILLION PEOPLE
WERE UNEMPLOYED. WHEN YOU’RE
UNEMPLOYED YOU TYPICALLY LOSE
YOUR
HEALTH INSURANCE WHEN YOU LOSE
YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE YOU LOSE
ACCESS TO THE CARE THAT
YOU NEED WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR JOB
YOU LOSE IN COME AND THERE’S A
REAL FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OR
BURDEN TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH
DIABETES PEOPLE LIVING WITH
DIABETES HAVE ABOUT
NEARLY 2 AND A HALF TIMES
HIGHER MEDICAL EXPENSES IN
THOSE WHO DON’T
SO GETTING TO THAT 0 COPAY FOR
INSULIN IN ANY PRESCRIPTION
DRUG IS REALLY
REALLY IMPORTANT AND WE ARE
PUSHING FOR THE 3RD THING,
CONTINUITY OF INSURANCE.
SO IF AN AMERICAN WHO’S LOST
THEIR JOB BECAUSE OF COVID-19
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
DON’T LOSE THEIR HEALTH
INSURANCE.