Covid-19 ‘made health inequality worse’

MORE people from ethnic minority groups died or suffered severe illness during the pandemic because their risk of infection was greater.

Researchers who analysed results from 77 research studies across the world – covering 200 million people – found that the biggest driver of ethnic inequalities was exposure to the virus.

Five UK universities were involved in examining the figures which showed that compared to the white majority group, South Asian people were three times more likely to test positive for infection, black people 1.8 times more likely, and mixed and other ethnic groups 1.3 times more likely.

Among studies that looked at the risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19 in the whole population, black people were 1.5 times more likely to be admitted to hospital than the white majority, indigenous people 1.9 times more likely and Hispanic people 1.32 times more likely.

Intensive care

Dr Patsy Irizar, from The University of Manchester, who led the work, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened existing ethnic inequalities in health, and responses must focus on tackling the drivers of these inequalities, including structural racism and racial discrimination.”

The report also showed the risk of needing intensive care was also higher – South Asian, East Asian, indigenous, Hispanic and black groups all had more than triple the risk than white majority groups. .

Different patterns of employment, income and housing affected the level of risk faced by people from different ethnicities.

For instance, people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to have publicfacing jobs, less likely to be able to self-isolate or work from home, more likely to live in overcrowded housing, and less likely to have access to open spaces.