British Study Confirms Stark Racial Disparity In COVID-19 Deaths

A near-deserted Oxford Street in London, England, on May 6, 2020. Britain is now well into its seventh week of coronavirus lockdown, although a slight easing of the restrictions is expected to be announced this Sunda... A near-deserted Oxford Street in London, England, on May 6, 2020. Britain is now well into its seventh week of coronavirus lockdown, although a slight easing of the restrictions is expected to be announced this Sunday, along with a schedule for further 'easements' over the coming months. Covid-19 deaths across the country have meanwhile reached 30,076 according to today's figures from the UK's Department of Health and Social Care. The figure is currently considered to be the highest in Europe, though experts have cautioned that it may be some months before accurate comparisons of countries' coronavirus death tolls can be drawn. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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LONDON — A new study into ethnicity and the coronavirus by Britain’s national statistics agency suggests that people from almost all minority ethnic groups — except Chinese and those identifying as “mixed” — are at greater risk of a coronavirus-related death than the white population.

In particular, the analysis said that after accounting for age, black men are 4.2 times more likely than white men to die after contracting the virus, and black women are 4.3 times more likely to die compared to women of white ethnicity.

The Office for National Statistics said people of Bangladeshi and Pakistani, Indian, and mixed ethnicities also had an increased risk of Covid-19 deaths.

The office said Thursday a “substantial part of the difference” is explained by social-economic circumstances, but they do not explain all the difference.

The findings echoed data from the National Health Service and other studies.

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