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Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

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Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#11

Post by boomboomsubban »

dmurray wrote: post #4

The article doesn't really go into why the reservations were worse hit than other US areas. They are "sovereign" "nations" so surely they have some autonomy to set their own lockdown, travel policies, and other responses to the pandemic. Did they have even worse governance than the US generally? Or dense living conditions? Or particularly vulnerable age profiles? I get that they're not generally wealthy, but probably…

Health care on reservations is already generally far below most US standards, and then they aren't receiving much of the federal/state support specifically for this.

Reservations basically operate with only the local government. Imagine your town trying to source all the required goods themselves while there's a supply shortage.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#12

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

crmrc114 wrote: post #9
BurningFrog wrote: post #5

PSA: Vitamin D deficiency is a strong factor, not for getting Covid-19, but for bad outcomes. It's especially common for people with dark skin, since that blocks the ability of producing Vitamin D from sunlight. If that's part of what's happening to the Navajo, I don't know, but you should probably eat Vitamin D pills, especially during this indoor lockdown, and if if you have dark skin.

https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/15/bmjnph-20... "There is no strong scientific evidence to show that very high intakes (ie, mega supplements) of vitamin D will be beneficial in preventing or treating COVID-19."

I'm not sure how you managed to pull that quote out without reading the sentence immediately before it, saying that you should take a supplement during this indoor lockdown.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#13

Post by astine »

dmurray wrote: post #4

The article doesn't really go into why the reservations were worse hit than other US areas. They are "sovereign" "nations" so surely they have some autonomy to set their own lockdown, travel policies, and other responses to the pandemic. Did they have even worse governance than the US generally? Or dense living conditions? Or particularly vulnerable age profiles? I get that they're not generally wealthy, but probably…

The Navajo reservation is one of the least densely populated parts of the country so that's not it. Lack of infrastructure is a bigger issue. Many if not most of these people live close to the poverty line and so don't have many options with regard to quarantine. It's not like they can stock up and stay inside for a month.

It's also not like the nation can just isolate from the rest of the country. Much of the nation lives and/or works off of the reservation in nearby towns and cities. Bear in mind that by-and-large, the Navajo are not living a traditional subsistence lifestyle anymore. They simply don't have the land or resources to do that so the reservations are not self-sufficient.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#14

Post by lordnacho »

crmrc114 wrote: post #9
BurningFrog wrote: post #5

PSA: Vitamin D deficiency is a strong factor, not for getting Covid-19, but for bad outcomes. It's especially common for people with dark skin, since that blocks the ability of producing Vitamin D from sunlight. If that's part of what's happening to the Navajo, I don't know, but you should probably eat Vitamin D pills, especially during this indoor lockdown, and if if you have dark skin.

https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/15/bmjnph-20... "There is no strong scientific evidence to show that very high intakes (ie, mega supplements) of vitamin D will be beneficial in preventing or treating COVID-19."

But the GP says deficiency is the problem, not that having loads and loads will help.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#15

Post by AndyMcConachie »

dmurray wrote: post #4

The article doesn't really go into why the reservations were worse hit than other US areas. They are "sovereign" "nations" so surely they have some autonomy to set their own lockdown, travel policies, and other responses to the pandemic. Did they have even worse governance than the US generally? Or dense living conditions? Or particularly vulnerable age profiles? I get that they're not generally wealthy, but probably…

[flagged]

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#16

Post by sgslo »

dmurray wrote: post #4

The article doesn't really go into why the reservations were worse hit than other US areas. They are "sovereign" "nations" so surely they have some autonomy to set their own lockdown, travel policies, and other responses to the pandemic. Did they have even worse governance than the US generally? Or dense living conditions? Or particularly vulnerable age profiles? I get that they're not generally wealthy, but probably…

Anecdotal:

My mother-in-law works at a hospital adjacent to a large reservation. They're treating large numbers of natives.

She says people from the reservation refuse to practice any social distancing or wear PPE.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#17

Post by voyager2 »

dmurray wrote: post #4

The article doesn't really go into why the reservations were worse hit than other US areas. They are "sovereign" "nations" so surely they have some autonomy to set their own lockdown, travel policies, and other responses to the pandemic. Did they have even worse governance than the US generally? Or dense living conditions? Or particularly vulnerable age profiles? I get that they're not generally wealthy, but probably…

Having lived on reservations, Navajo Nation being one of them, I'd opine that the co-morbidities are the main contributing factor. The diabetes rates on the rez are many times that of the US population as are the rates of alcoholism. Also households are very often multi-generational and more crowded than in the US.

Yes, they do have their own lockdown policies. On a drive in western NC this past month, we had to turn around as the Qualla Boundary was blocked by tribal police.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#18

Post by kgin »

TeaDrunk wrote: post #8
dmurray wrote: post #4

The article doesn't really go into why the reservations were worse hit than other US areas. They are "sovereign" "nations" so surely they have some autonomy to set their own lockdown, travel policies, and other responses to the pandemic. Did they have even worse governance than the US generally? Or dense living conditions? Or particularly vulnerable age profiles? I get that they're not generally wealthy, but probably…

Several native nations traded their land for the promise of acceptable healthcare as part of treaties, which has not been held up to standard.[0] Additionally, native nations in fact have tried to set their own lockdown and travel policies. State governments have threatened them for doing so.[1] [0]. "For Native Americans, Health Care Is A Long, Hard Road Away" - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/13/4…

I could see that affecting death rate, but not the rate of infection/spreading.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#19

Post by scottLobster »

BurningFrog wrote: post #5

PSA: Vitamin D deficiency is a strong factor, not for getting Covid-19, but for bad outcomes. It's especially common for people with dark skin, since that blocks the ability of producing Vitamin D from sunlight. If that's part of what's happening to the Navajo, I don't know, but you should probably eat Vitamin D pills, especially during this indoor lockdown, and if if you have dark skin.

Joe Rogan had Dr Rhonda Patrick on a few days ago and gave a detailed rundown of the research into vitamin D vs Covid/respiratory illness in general, among other topics (timestamped to the start of Vitamin D talk but the whole podcast is definitely worth a listen)

https://youtu.be/4_ZJ8YDOX6g?t=1771

Vitamin D insufficiency has been strongly correlated to COVD-19 deaths and severe symptoms in various locations, although obviously more data is still needed to prove causation.

Either way unless you work outside you should probably be on 5000 IU of Vitamin D a day just to compensate for sunlight deprivation.

Re: Navajo Nation and Other Native American Reservations Hit Hard by Covid-19

#20

Post by TeaDrunk »

kgin wrote: post #18
TeaDrunk wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Several native nations traded their land for the promise of acceptable healthcare as part of treaties, which has not been held up to standard.[0] Additionally, native nations in fact have tried to set their own lockdown and travel policies. State governments have threatened them for doing so.[1] [0]. "For Native Americans, Health Care Is A Long, Hard Road Away" - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/13/4…

I could see that affecting death rate, but not the rate of infection/spreading.

You don't see how attempts to shut down travel within one's borders being challenged by governments with significant clout affect the rate of infection and spread?
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