Black And Latino West Virginians Face Greater Health Disparities During Pandemic

On this West Virginia Morning, health disparities between white communities and Black and Latino communities have existed for years. But the coronavirus has made it even more obvious. Also, in this show, we have the latest statehouse news and an update on West Virginia baseball.

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would create a new layer in the state court system for civil cases. As Dave Mistich reports, the push for an intermediate court of appeals has been a perennial issue at the statehouse for years.

A new bill from the West Virginia House of Delegates creates criminal charges for anyone who exposes a government employee to a harmful drug or chemical agent. WVPB has the story.

Baseball is returning to the city of Charleston after a year off due to COVID-19 and changes at the major league level that left the city without an affiliate. Eric Douglas has the story.

For nearly a year, the numbers have told COVID’s changing story of illness and death. The virus is about twice as likely to kill African American and Latino people as white people. The reasons for that health disparity are as old as they are complex. They are rooted in the historical racism of our institutions and a resulting distrust in health care. In the latest Us & Them episode, host Trey Kay tells the story of this disparity. Here’s an excerpt from “COVID-19 Exposes Racial Inequalities”

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