Black and Asian ethnic groups twice as likely to die with virus

Public Health England have published a report which states that Black and Asian ethnic groups are up to twice as likely to die if they contract coronavirus.

The report investigates why people from ethnic minority backgrounds are “disproportionately” dying with coronavirus.

Research shows that age remains the biggest risk factor, with being male another.

But, once you strip out age and sex, people of Bangladeshi ethnicity have twice the risk of death than people of white British ethnicity.

The risk is higher for other Asian, Caribbean and black ethnicities too.

Currently, a large proportion of NHS doctors come from an ethnic minority background.

Black and Asian ethnic groups twice as likely to die with virus — Some of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority health workers who have died as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The report said its findings confirm “the impact of Covid-19 has replicated existing health inequalities and, in some cases, has increased them”.

The report found that people aged 80 or older are 70 times more likely to die than those under 40, and that the risk of dying with coronavirus is higher among those living in more deprived parts of the UK.

Coronavirus death rates are highest among people of Black and Asian ethnic groups when compared to white British ethnicity.

People of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and other Black ethnicity had between a 10% and 50% higher risk of death when compared to white British.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons the report was timely work.

He said:

“People are understandably angry about injustices and as Health Secretary I feel a deep responsibility because this pandemic has exposed huge disparities in the health of our nation.

“It is very clear that some people are significantly more vulnerable to Covid-19 and this is something I’m determined to understand in full and take action to address.”

On Monday night, the Department of Health and Social Care denied reports the delay was down to official concerns of potential civil unrest linked to global anger over the death of African-American George Floyd.

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