'Cancer Alley' is a stretch of communities along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Residents there have disproportionately high cancer rates. Now, a new paper reveals they're also facing higher death rates from the novel coronavirus COVID-19. According to Gizmodo Earther, black people make up only 33% of Louisiana’s population. However, they make up 56% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths. Data shows communities of color across the US are being hit by the pandemic at a higher rate than predominantly white communities. Many essential workers on the frontline are non-white and can’t work from home. This puts them at a disproportionate risk of exposure.
