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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released data on COVID19-related deaths England and Wales considering ethnicity, religion, and disability.
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, Chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, University of Cambridge, said:
“The clear link between ethnicity and Covid risk is difficult to untangle.
“For example, today’s ISARIC study shows that, once admitted to hospital, being Black does not increase the risk of death, although risk was increased by 20% for the South Asian group.
“When we consider both getting and dying from the virus, the ONS data show substantially increased risk across a range of ethnic groups. The difference in findings arise because they are looking at different stages of the disease – the ISARIC study is in hospitals and the ONS data is from the general uninfected population, and therefore includes factors increasing the risk of infection and becoming ill.
“ONS found that much of the increased risk in the population is explained by socioeconomic factors and the work people do, although Black men still show a doubling of risk even after adjusting for those demographic factors. Even more would be explained by comorbidities, were that data available.
“But this simply reveals that the circumstances in which ethnic minorities live is the major contributor to their increased risk, rather than any genetic disposition.
“It is important to remember that age is still the overwhelmingly important factor when considering the risks of Covid. To put a doubling of risk in perspective, this is roughly the increase linked to being male, or being just seven years older. So the increased risk that comes from older age is huge – compared to those aged 40, people aged 60 have had a death rate around 10 times as large, and those aged 80 around 100 times.”
Prof Aziz Sheikh, Professor of Primary Care Research & Development, and Director of the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, said:
Commenting on the data on religion:
“There have been concerns raised for many months now on the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on minority faith communities. This analysis on religion and COVID-19 outcomes is therefore – whilst revealing deeply disturbing findings – very welcome. Whilst we need to understand the underlying reasons for these poor outcomes, it is important that we don’t try and explain these away by referring to socio-economic disadvantage or other contextual factors. We now need to meaningfully engage with our faith communities to more fully acknowledge and appreciate their concerns, identify potential mitigation strategies and rapidly evaluate the impacts of such interventions. We also urgently need similar faith-based analyses for Scotland and Northern Ireland.”
All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:
www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19
Declared interests
Prof Aziz Sheikh: “Co-editor of Caring for Muslim Patients (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caring-Muslim-Patients-Sheikh/dp/1857758129) and Caring for Hindu Patients (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caring-Hindu-Patients-Diviash-Thakrar/dp/1857755987/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=caring+for+hindu+patients&qid=1592558984&s=books&sr=1-1) and Palliative Care for South Asians: Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Palliative-Care-South-Asians-Practical/dp/1856422771/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=palliative+care+for+hindu+muslim&qid=1592559018&s=books&sr=1-1).”
None others received.