Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks during a daily briefing to update on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain June 2, 2020.
London, United Kingdom - Scientists studying the novel coronavirus have noted striking differences in death rates based on age, sex and ethnicity.
Published: Wed 3 Jun 2020, 3:16 AM
Last updated: Wed 3 Jun 2020, 5:27 AM
Black people and men of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin are nearly twice as likely to die from the Covid-19 disease than whites, even when adjusting data for deprivation, a new British report said on Thursday.
The statistics chimed with reports in other Western nations, from Finland to the United States, that non-white ethnic groups have been worse hit by the new coronavirus which has killed nearly 263,000 people worldwide.
"The risk of death involving the coronavirus (Covid-19) among some ethnic groups is significantly higher than that of those of white ethnicity," the government's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a new report.
Scientists studying the novel coronavirus have noted striking differences in death rates based on age, sex and ethnicity, and hope genetics may hold clues for medicines or a vaccine. But there are still vast holes in knowledge.
Without adjusting for factors including poverty, education and health, Britain's ONS found that black males were 4.2 times more likely to succumb to a Covid-19-related death and black females were 4.3 times more likely than white counterparts.
The adjusted model showed that black people were 1.9 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than the white ethnic group.
Males of Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnicity were 1.8 times more likely to die, and females from those groups 1.6 times, according to the adjusted model. But individuals from the Chinese and mixed ethnic group have similar risks to whites.
"The difference between ethnic groups in Covid-19 mortality is partly a result of socio-economic disadvantage and other circumstances, but a remaining part of the difference has not yet been explained," the ONS report added.
INVESTIGATION URGED
Politicians were appalled.
David Lammy, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, urged an investigation, while London mayor Sadiq Khan - of Pakistani origin - said ethnicity should be recorded on death certificates to shed more light.
Britain has the world's second highest coronavirus death toll, after the United States, with more than 32,000 fatalities.
"People from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are being disproportionately affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 and we need urgent action to reveal the true extent of this inequality," Khan said.
Occupation may be a factor in the disproportionate deaths.
Non-white workers account for more than a fifth of National Health Service (NHS) employees - a higher proportion than in the labour force. And more than two in every ten black African women of working age are employed in health and social care.
British health officials have already made research into the ethnic breakdown of deaths a priority.
"We're aware that this virus has sadly appeared to have a disproportionate effect on people from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds," Britain's health ministry said in a statement reacting to the ONS data.
"It is critical we find out which groups are most at risk so we can take the right steps to protect them and minimise their risk."
The statement added that the Public Health England authority had been commissioned to research the different factors that influence the effects of the virus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said coronavirus had "emphasised the existing health inequalities in the country", and promised further work on the issue.
He said the report was timely given global protests over the death of George Floyd in the United States, adding: "Black lives matter.
"And I want to say this to everyone who works in the National Health Service and in social care: I value the contribution that you make, everybody equally.
"And I want to say it right across society too. I want to thank you."
Meanwhile, The number of suspected and confirmed deaths from coronavirus in Britain has risen to 48,000, official data showed Tuesday.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures tallied all fatalities in which COVID-19 was suspected or mentioned on death certificates up to May 22.
The total of 48,106 is significantly higher than the government's latest daily figure of 39,369, which only includes deaths where the patient tested positive for coronavirus.
By either measure, the toll is Europe's worst and puts Britain behind only the United States in officially announced deaths, although each country has different reporting lags and methods.
The data also showed there had been 56,308 more deaths in England and Wales than the five-year average since the outbreak took hold in March.
But in the week ending May 22, there were 2,589 mentions of "novel coronavirus" on death certificates in England and Wales -- the lowest since the seven days to March 27.
Britain is one of the last European countries to start easing its stay-at-home restrictions, which were imposed on March 23.
Some younger children returned to school in England on Monday while some shops were allowed to reopen.
However, some critics say the government is moving too quickly while infection rates and deaths remain high.
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