(MENAFN) New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that coronavirus death rates among ethnic minorities in the UK are no longer significantly higher than those among the white population. This marks a significant shift from the early stages of the pandemic, when black and Asian people were much more likely to die from Covid-19. The narrowing of the gap has been attributed to a range of factors, including greater knowledge of how the virus spreads, the introduction of social measures to control infection, and the rollout of the vaccination programme.
Epidemiologist Veena Raleigh has explained that during the early weeks and months of the pandemic, there was very little known about Covid-19, how it spreads, and how to mitigate its impact. This meant that the virus had its greatest impact on those who were most vulnerable or exposed to infection, including older people and those working in frontline jobs such as key workers in the NHS and public transport. As ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in these roles, they were particularly affected during the initial wave of the pandemic.
However, over time, more was learned about how the virus spreads, and social measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were introduced to help control infection rates. These measures played a role in moderating ethnic differences in Covid-19 mortality. Additionally, the rollout of the vaccination programme has also been a key factor in reducing the gap in death rates. Although vaccination rates are lower among some ethnic minority groups, a significant proportion of the population has been vaccinated or has some immunity due to previous exposure to the virus.
As a result of these various factors, the ONS data shows that there has been a significant reduction in the difference between Covid-19 death rates among ethnic minorities and the white population in the UK. While there is still work to be done to ensure that all communities have access to vaccination and other measures to control the spread of the virus, the narrowing of the gap is a positive development in the fight against Covid-19.
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