Public Health England (PHE) is set to begin recording coronavirus cases and deaths by ethnicity, the BBC has learned. The move follows research indicating that people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds face a higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed at the daily Downing Street press conference that the Chief Medical Officer had commissioned work from PHE to investigate the issue. “There does appear to be a disproportionate impact of the virus on BAME communities in the UK,” he said, adding that swift research would inform any necessary action.
Data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre shows that 34% of over 4,800 critically ill Covid-19 patients in the UK are from BAME backgrounds, despite representing just 14% of the population according to the 2011 census. BBC analysis also reveals that nearly three-quarters of the 51 healthcare workers whose deaths have been announced are from ethnic minorities.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association, stressed the need to understand why ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. “We must do everything we can now to prevent further deaths,” he said, suggesting that older NHS workers or those with medical conditions should be risk-assessed and shielded from virus exposure. He noted that ethnicity data is not routinely collected, and death certificates currently lack this information, hindering analysis.
The family of Sylvia Douglas, an 82-year-old Windrush generation pastor from Slough, expressed concerns about her treatment. She died at Wexham Park Hospital on 2 April after being placed on a CPAP machine. Her nephew, Robert Murray, said: “We would really like some clear answers about what happened in those last hours so we can feel confident that we're not being treated differently in the system.”
Dr Riyaz Patel, associate professor of cardiology at University College London, cited socio-economic and biological factors for the disparity, including higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity among BAME patients. He noted that these conditions appear to be potent risk factors for severe lung illness from Covid-19.
