Expert: Tough for some Detroiters to stay at home

An expert on health behavior says some Detroit residents are at a disadvantage during the coronavirus pandemic, because they are unable to easily abide by governmental stay-at-home orders.

"When Governor Gretchen Whitmer puts out a call for stay at home, we have to realize that some of these social barriers really limit on who can actually stay at home for the duration of this period and who has to put themselves at risk to either go to work, isn't able to stockpile groceries. So, they have to go out more often than others," Roshanak Mehdipanah (ROH-sheh-nak MEH-deh-pih-neh), a professor of health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan, said during an interview Monday.

Detroit has become a hot spot for coronavirus cases due to a series of factors that include the city's high poverty rate.

"Poverty makes you more likely to be sick. Being sick makes you more likely to be poor. And the kinds of jobs that people have when they're low income put them at greater risk," said Dr. Susan Dorr Goold, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan's medical school.

The number of coronavirus cases reported in Michigan reached 6,498 Monday, an 18% increase, while deaths rose to 184 from 132. Detroit has roughly 28% of the cases and deaths.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.