Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies has welcomed the work that is being carried out in the UK to better understand why ethnic minorities are at greater risk of harm from Covid.
UK Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee and Science and Technology Committee are holding a joint inquiry into lessons to be learned from the response to the coronavirus pandemic so far.
In a recent evidence session, James, who is a member of the Health and Social Care Committee, questioned witnesses over the impact of Covid on BAME people, and actions being taken to establish why they are more adversely impacted and face higher mortality rates than the white population.
He said:
“To summarise where we are up to, you have told us that you think occupational roles are important, as well as multi-generational households, high-density housing, deprivation, biological [including co-morbidity] or genetic factors and poorly quantifiable cultural issues, but we still have charts that show that some ethnic minorities are at much greater risk of harm from Covid.
“Where do you think the gap lies? Is it confounding factors - are there things that have not been considered? Is it the issues I have just listed, but weighted incorrectly? Is there any other investigation that we need to do as a country and that you think should be prioritised?”
Iain Bell, Deputy National Statistician and Director of Population and Public Policy, said “there are likely to be unobserved and confounding factors that are yet to go in” and that they have recently expanded their opinion survey to gain more insight for different ethnic minority groups about behaviours.
James asked the witnesses whether they think they will “get to the bottom of that so that we can fully explain the situation” and was encouraged by the positive reply.
Speaking after the meeting, he said:
“I was extremely encouraged to hear of all the research that has been, and continues to be, carried out to establish exactly why this virus is impacting BAME people more severely. It is vitally important that we get to the bottom of this to best protect ethnic minorities while the pandemic remains with us.
“Professor Kevin Fenton, Public Health and Regional Director for London, Public Health England, told me the ways in which we are responding to the pandemic will continue to improve with greater experience and research, and I was pleased to hear that he anticipates a reduction in inequalities in the months ahead.”
