Appalachian Coal Communities Brace For Coronavirus

Appalachia - including large swaths of Southwest Virginia - is to a large extent an economic basket case due to multiple factors two of which are (i) the decline of the coal industry (which continues to shrink despite Trump's ridiculous claims to bring it back), and (ii) the region's reactionary politics and embrace of right wing Christianity that discourages new, progressive business from even considering relocating to the area. Now, Covid-19 may be poised to wreak havoc on a population that in general has poor health and a shortage of hospitals and medical care access, especially since many lack heath care insurance (unlike most Appalachian states, Virginia and Kentucky have expanded Medicaid).  A piece in Huffington Post looks at  the potential catastrophe if coronavirus moves into into Appalachia in a major way.  Here are highlights:

Coal is no longer the commodity it once was, but its legacy in Appalachia remains: scores of miners with black lung disease who are now at a high risk of suffering from the coronavirus.

Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, better known as black lung, is a scarring of the lungs caused by years of coal dust inhalation. At least one in 10 underground miners has black lung, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but experts say the actual number could be much higher. As the lungs scar, it becomes harder to breathe, so the thought of adding COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, to the mix is terrifying to these workers. 

[M]any fear it’s only a matter of time until the virus contributes to a triple-whammy in Appalachian mining communities: a population with elevated health risks, an economy in free-fall and limited health care resources. . . . . “It’s probably just going to wipe us out.”

Appalachia, which stretches from New York to Alabama and once produced most of the nation’s coal, is particularly at risk from the pandemic because of its residents’ poor health. Appalachians are more likely than other Americans to have ailments such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, due in part to smoking and a more sedentary lifestyle, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission, all of which could exacerbate the effects of COVID-19. . . . COVID-19 “would be a nail in the coffin.”

The Appalachian region has also lost dozens of rural hospitals in recent years, according to the University of North Carolina ― a trend in rural areas across the country. Black lung patients often travel an hour or more to visit doctors, Go said.  . . . And coronavirus has already stretched regional health care resources even thinner.

Telemedicine, which allows doctors to use video and other interactive tools to treat patients from afar, would be helpful during the pandemic, Doyle said. But, he added, many rural black lung patients have neither the technology nor broadband service for telemedicine.

The National Mining Association, which lobbied for these cuts, told HuffPost in a written statement that companies are “adjusting to this new reality and following government guidelines, with distancing measures being taken, increased cleaning schedules ... and limits on gatherings of groups.”

But in southern West Virginia, Doyle said he hasn’t seen much change in mining operations in recent weeks. Mine workers, recognizable in blue outfits with reflective stripes, are still walking around town as usual, he said, possibly spreading the virus without knowing.

“It looks to me like they’re going about their business,” Doyle said. “Until their co-workers start falling ill, I don’t think they’re going to change. A lot of people here are not convinced they need to do anything.”