Focused action is required to protect ethnic minority populations from COVID-19 post-lockdown

BACKGROUND

Since the association between COVID-19 and ethnicity was first noted in April 2020,¹ numerous large-scale national datasets have been analysed.^2–6 The evidence is clear — ethnicity is a key risk factor for adverse COVID-19 outcome, alongside age, male sex, obesity, deprivation, and comorbidities.⁷ There are significant ethnic inequalities in the risk of admission to hospital and risk of death from COVID-19. Black and South Asian ethnic groups are at greatest risk, although most ethnic minorities have been shown to have increased risk when compared with white populations.⁷ Beyond admission to hospital and mortality risk, there is also concern over longer-term impacts, that is, post-acute COVID-19,⁸ which could significantly impact ethnic minority populations.

As a result, Public Health England (PHE) released two evidence reviews and recommendations to address the disparities in COVID-19 outcomes in ethnic minority populations.^9,10 PHE made only seven recommendations and these were lacking in detail, featuring issues that were already well articulated in minority health literature. The recommendations gave limited attention to the wider determinants of health that underpin ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, and gave no indication of timeframes for delivery or methods of implementation.¹⁰ In addition, the recommendations did not address how ethnic minority populations could best protect themselves during the pandemic. This was a significant oversight because personal and community responsibilities are imperative social determinants to protecting the health and wellbeing of ethnic minority communities when national (and regional) lockdown is eased.

Subsequent to the PHE report there was an inevitable resurgence in COVID-19 cases over the summer months in areas with a high density of ethnic minorities such as Leicester,¹¹ Blackburn, and Oldham. From mid-September, local COVID-19 restrictions were introduced across parts of the North West, North East, Midlands, and West Yorkshire. …