Newly released data from the NHS has revealed the ethnic breakdown of the patents at hospitals in London who have died from coronavirus.
Black people living in the city account for 15% of its population, but take-up 16% of those who have died from the Covid-19 virus.
Epidemiologist, Dr Shikta Das, said that there was a high rate of BAME people among front line workers, who were exposed to the greater risk.
But she did say that it was difficult to draw conclusions as data that may be needed to be more specific to areas of London.
The UK’s capital has seen nearly 5,000 deaths that were linked to the virus.
NHS analysis has shown a disproportionate number of Black people had died from coronavirus in London.
Dr Dass said that she believed that one factor for the disproportionality was that people from a BAME background were over-represented in many key working industries and were at a greater risk of becoming infected.
She said: “Twenty per cent of NHS workers are from a BAME background – with forty-four per cent of doctors. In this group there is a doctor, nurse, technician, bus driver, shelf-stacker and care worker. All of these groups tend to be more exposed to Covid-19 directly.
“The more exposure you have, the more lethal the dosage is. So, it’s no surprise that these people are dying”.
A Public Health England spokesperson said that there was evidence to suggest that coronavirus was having a disproportionate impact on Black and Minority Ethnic people.
