Ethnic minority report: Covid-19 deaths three times higher in London

People from Black, Asian and ethnic groups (BAME) are up to twice as likely to die with COVID-19 than those from a white British background, according to a Public Health England report.

When looking at the Geography factors the report stated “… London had the highest rates followed by the North  West, the North East and the West Midlands. The South West had the lowest. For females the North East and the North West had higher diagnosis rates than London, while London had the highest death rate.

Local authorities with the highest diagnoses and death rates are mostly urban. Death rates in London from COVID-19 were more than three times higher than in the region with the lowest rates, the South West.”

It shows age remains the biggest risk factor. Being male is another.

People of Bangladeshi ethnicity had around twice the risk of death, said the report.

Those of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian, Caribbean and Other Black ethnicity had between 10 and 50% higher risk of death.

However, it does not include the effects of underlying health conditions or obesity

“Other evidence has shown that when these are included, the difference in risk of death among hospitalised patients is greatly reduced,” said the PHE report.

You can read the Public Health England  ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’ here.