Black People More Likely to Die From COVID-19 Than Whites- Report

Black people are more than four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than white people, a report released by the British Office of National Statistics shows.

The report which has attracted the ire of several public figures who have called for a public inquiry into its findings stated that black people were twice as likely to succumb to the disease than white people after factoring in several factors such as age, health status, disability, and other socio-demographic factors.

According to the report, Bangladeshi and Pakistani males were 1.8 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than white males, after other pre-existing factors had been accounted for, and females from those ethnic groups were 1.6 times more likely to die from the virus than their white counterparts.

The report also avers that the risk for Chinese and mixed groups is similar to that of white people.

“These results show that 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 British statistics office said.

The report which bases its findings from a closer look at deaths that occurred between March 2 and April 10 drew inferences that there exists health inequalities between black and minority ethnic populations – particularly in relation to cardiovascular disease and diabetes which are now being amplified during the pandemic.

To erase any doubt that the deaths were directly tied to ethnicity, the statistics office adjusted for age, region, rural and urban classification, household composition, socio-economic status and household tenure.

“The fully adjusted results show differences in risk between ethnic groups that are specific to those ethnic groups and are not caused by any of the factors listed on which members of the groups might differ,” further stated the statistics office in its report.

After the adjustments that factored in the various variables, the report found out that Indian men and women were less likely than people from Bangladeshi and Pakistani background to die from the virus, but were still 1.3 times and 1.4 times more susceptible than white people.

By the same token Chinese women were the only group to be less vulnerable than white people, after adjusting for other differences, while Chinese men were 1.2 times more likely to die from the disease than white people.

Outrage

As a result, the report has raised questions from British politicians and academicians mostly from ethic minority backgrounds who have called for a public inquiry into the findings of the report.

In a letter to British Premier Boris Johnson on May 10, the politicians say a public inquiry will give more clarity to the issue considering Britain has been hard hit by the virus recording over 30,000 deaths by the time of publishing.

“Only an independent public inquiry will provide the answers we need. Such an inquiry is essential for all, especially for those who have lost loved ones as a result of the pandemic,” the open letter to Boris Johnson says.

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