The Texas Health and Human Services Commission recently announced it is launching a study on the impact of COVID-19 on susceptible populations. The commission said the study will include data on respondents' ethnicity, socio-economic status, geographic location, and race.

On top of the said items to include in the data, the commission also said its study would also contain data on the respondents' employment status, chronic illness, age, and presence of disability or other illnesses.

According to The Dallas Morning News, the said "study is taking place after months of calls from the minority lawmakers for the state to study" the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on both the black and brown communities.

In an email, a spokeswoman for the commission, Christine Mann said, Texas should understand COVID-19's health effect on these vulnerable populaces to identify which of the factors may be putting some Texas nationals "at greater risk."

Mann added, the commission expected an initial assessment of the study in fall. However, the additional data gathering and monitoring, she emphasized, would still continue even after the preliminary analysis.

Rolling Out of New Laboratory Requirements for COVID-19 Test

The commission announced its study as officials of the federal health introduce new requirements for labs that test for the now widespread virus.

Starting August 1, reports said, all laboratories testing for COVID-19 will be necessitated to gather information on ethnicity, race, as well as other factors.

The data collected then, need to be submitted to either the state or local health department within the24 hours from the gathering of information. The department responsible then must report to the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Also according to reports, this initiative comes, after months of complaints that the "Trump administration has failed to capture" the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Hispanic and black communities.

Any detail, Mann said, that they learn through the process and can implement right away to protect the people of Texas, they will utilize, "in whatever way we can," not to mention, as fast as they can.

The Black's Stance

For black lawmakers who have reportedly been sounding the alarm about the effect of a pandemic on their communities for months, "The study was rather new to them." 

Sen. Borris Miles said "if Texas had not shut down the Office of Minority Health Statistics and Engagement in 2018," the disproportionate impacts of the virus on minority communities could have been addressed already. 

More so, Sen. Borriis added that making policy recommendations "in real-time as the crisis progressed" could have been made possible, as well.

Meanwhile, according to Rep. Garnet Coleman, who asked the commissioner for better information gathering in early April, the data gathering "is a new thing and," it is where the political leaders usually commit a mistake. 

Coleman added, "If you want people to believe" their sincerity, then those who have expressed concerns to them and vice versa should be brought together. He said though, that he was pleased to see the announcement of the agency.

Specifically, Coleman said, "I'm glad to see it" as it meant that the HHSC, as well as the office of the governor, are taking the calls of the black lawmakers seriously.

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