WHY ethnic minorities, including UK Cypriots, are disproportianally affected by Covid-19?

According to Sky News, a formal review is to be launched into why people from a black and minority ethnic background appear to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It follows calls for the government to investigate the number of deaths of people from the BAME community and those working for the NHS, during the coronavirus pandemic.

The term “ethnic minority” is not very popular among some circles of the UK Cypriot community. For whatever reason, they imagine that we are an “exception”. But it seems that once more such people are deluding themselves. It turns out that just like other ethnic minorities, UK Cypriots are disproportionately affected by Covid-19.

Estimates of approximately 150 or even more than 200 deaths (including both GC’s and TC’s) have been heard in recent days and weeks and there was a mixed reaction from the community. Some thought and warned that they are probably exagerated.

UKCY NEWS is inclined towards adopting the view expressed in recent days by Professor Neophytos Loizides that “in a pandemic worst case scenarios and comparisons come first”. In his response to our previous report on the subject, Professor Loizides stated:

“The number of Cypriots in the UK losing their lives from COVID-19 is alarming. To put the figure of 150 reported above into perspective, a Cypriot here in the UK is at least 100-150 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than in the island (see discussion in social media by Nicos Trimikliniotis, Photios Kouzoupis and myself as to the statistics). Even compared to Italy, these figures represent on average four to five times higher casualties and the UK is not even yet at the peak of the pandemic crisis (assuming that the size of the community is about 110,000 people).

Early research from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) found that last week 34% of critically ill coronavirus patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were from black or minority ethnic backgrounds. According to the 2011 census, just 14% of the population is from those backgrounds. The research was based on 3,300 patients from intensive care units.

Also, Sky News analysis has found that of the 54 front line health and social care workers in England and Wales that have died because of COVID-19, 70% of them were black or from an ethnic minority.

Sky News analysis also found that four of the five health trusts in England which have recorded the most deaths so far cover areas with some of the highest combined South Asian and black populations. Many of these are in London and the West Midlands which together account for almost half of all deaths in England.

Despite only accounting for 13% of the population in England and Wales, 44% of all NHS doctors and 24% of nurses are from a BAME background.

There are fears that pre-existing health inequalities are making people from minority communities more likely to lose their lives.

Downing Street has confirmed the review will get under way. It will be led by the NHS and Public Health England along with other organisations, including the British Medical Association.