Coronavirus: 'Structural racism' must be taken into account when dealing with BAME deaths

"Structural racism and social inequality" should be taken into account when looking at the impact of COVID-19 on Britain's black, Asian and minority ethnic, according to an expert involved in a recent review.

Professor Kevin Fenton was a major part of a Public Health England (PHE) report ordered by the government into why the BAME community has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. It found people from BAME groups were up to twice as likely to die with COVID-19 than those from a white British background.

The review was also meant to offer recommendations, but sources have told Sky News that these were "held back" by the government.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said coming from a non-white background was a

Speaking at a public meeting for Hackney Council, Prof Fenton said: "Over the last six weeks I've worked with over 4,000 individuals to understand what are some of the contextual issues that are driving the excess risk amongst, black, Asian and minority ethnic groups."

"Some of the structural issues, like racism, discrimination, stigma, distrust, fair, these are real issues that are challenging for the communities and are seen as underpinning some of the disparities we see for COVID. Any conversation about what we need to do, should take into consideration these things."

Read full story

Source: Sky News, 9 June 2020