This week, University Medical Center brings COVID-19 screening to Halsell, Alabama. With our partners – The University of Alabama Office for Research and Economic Development, Alabama Power and the Livingston Mayor’s Office – screening and testing will be provided Tuesday, June 2, from 9 am to noon at the Fairfield CME Church. The Rural Alabama Prevention Center and Go2Foundation for Lung Cancer are also assisting with this screening, and health insurance is not required.
Since April, UMC and its partners have provided COVID-19 outreach in rural Alabama communities. Using UA’s Mobile Outreach Unit, screening and testing has been offered in Livingston and Eppes in Sumter County, Uniontown in Perry County, and now this week in Halsell in Choctaw County.
As of May 27, we have screened a total of 447 people. Of those, 285 people showed virus systems and were tested for COVID-19, and 44 tested positive for the virus. That’s a positive-cases-to-tested-cases rate of 15.4%, almost double the statewide rate of 8% of positive-cases-to-tested-cases.
Why the higher rate in counties where we are helping to provide COVID-19 screenings? All of these counties are located in Alabama’s Black Belt, a region of the state historically named for its rich, dark soil but that is now marked by poverty, high unemployment, lack of access to health care and the associated health problems – high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
And now these counties and their citizens are also enduring high rates of COVID-19.
There is a well-recognized link between social determinants of health and health status. Social determinants of health are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that poor social determinants of health, such as poverty, access to healthy food, stable housing, safe neighborhoods and good education, can affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.
In addition, social determinants of health can worsen outcomes for people with COVID-19. For many people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health issues, COVID-19 can cause more severe illness and potentially death.
COVID-19 has exposed disparities in our healthcare system that have long been known. Now, more than ever, we must work together to find solutions that improve health for all people in all parts of our state. This is key to our mission at University Medical Center and the College of Community Health Sciences.
The College of Community Health Sciences operates University Medical Center.