DETROIT ― With about one-third of all of its residents and nearly half of its children living in poverty, Detroit ranks as the nation’s poorest big city. It’s also an emerging hotspot for COVID-19 cases, with 1,075 as of Friday afternoon.

That’s about 15 cases for every 10,000 residents in the city of nearly 700,000 ― a city where the average rate of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and asthma far exceed those of the state of Michigan and nation. Additionally, tens of thousands of residents live without health insurance or easy access to healthcare, clean water, transportation and secure housing.

Detroit’s deep poverty makes it especially vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak and the economic damage it has already inflicted, presenting the city’s public health system with a daunting challenge in slowing the pandemic.