Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of the measurement of the differential incidence of COVID-19 within BAME communities.

Public Health England led a rapid review to better understand how different factors such as ethnicity, deprivation, age, sex (male and female) and obesity can impact on how people are affected by COVID-19.

The review found that people from Black ethnic groups were most likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Also, death rates from COVID-19 were highest among people of Black and Asian ethnic groups.

These findings did not account for the effect of occupation or comorbidities. These are important factors because they are associated with the risk of acquiring COVID-19, the risk of dying, or both.

A copy of Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 is attached.