More BAME virus deaths was localised cluster – chiefs

THE gap in Covid-19 deaths suffered by white, black and Asian communities in Sandwell and West Birmingham has fallen sharply, according to health bosses.

In contrast, in the first two months of the pandemic Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) patients accounted for nearly 40 per cent of all fatalities.

Health chiefs have now said the disproportionate rate among BAME communities was due to a localised cluster of infections. Dr David Carruthers, Medical Director for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said: “We consider every patient lost to Covid-19 a tragedy and send our condolences to the family and friends of each one.

“Since the pandemic took hold in the middle of March, we have been open about our data and have shared it, in the hope of sharing learning.

“Early on, we saw a trend of more people dying from the black community, however this has changed over time, indicating that this could relate to a geographical cluster rather than an ethnicity-related concern.

“As our figures for May show, we are not seeing the same disproportionate death rate in BAME communities.”

A report by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust shows of the 49 people who died at City Road hospital during March, over two thirds were black or Asian. In the same month, Sandwell General recorded 18 fatalities, of which 11 were white.

During April, infections soared and of the 225 people who died of coronavirus 130 were white and 86 from the BAME communities.

Of the 61 deaths in the Trust’s hospitals during May, over half were white and more than a third Black and Asian.

All the deaths occurred at Leasowes Intermediate Care Centre, Birmingham City Road and Sandwell General acute hospitals.

Explaining the highest at risk was to the elderly and those with existing health problems, Dr Carruthers added: “The median age of our patients who have died of Covid-19 is 80 years old, with 96.2 per cent having complex medical histories, and 61.8 per cent were male.

“We have identified through our data that age, gender, hypertension and diabetes are a risk factor in outcome, with 67 per cent of patients who died of Covid-19 suffering hypertension whilst 44 per cent had diabetes.”

Sandwell and West Bimningham’s figures come after a national report published by Public Health England last week showed BAME communities are 50 per cent more likely to die from Covid-19.