Illinois congresswoman: 1/3 of state’s COVID deaths are African Americans

One-third of deaths caused by the coronavirus in Illinois are African-American, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), a nurse who assisted the Obama administration in pandemic preparedness, told Mike Allen at an Axios virtual event on Friday.

The big picture: African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic people and other people of color are more likely to become seriously ill from the coronavirus due to chronic health conditions and the effects of economic inequality, several studies have found.