COVID-19: Unique public health issues facing Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

Plain Language Summary

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is a public health emergency with serious adverse implications for populations, healthcare systems, and economies globally. The aim of this review was to explore the possible association between ethnicity, incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 using both recent COVID-19 studies and studies of previous pandemics. Findings show that: - ethnic minorities have lower lung function compared to their Caucasian counterparts. - Black, Asian and Minority Ethnics communities are prone to higher rates of cardiovascular disease and are subject to adverse healthcare disparities. - ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected, and experience worse health outcomes compared to other groups. They are also more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged compared to white communities. - Africans are at a higher risk of receiving later and more indigent healthcare compared to other ethnic groups. Authors conclude that data on ethnicity should be routinely collected by governments to robustly determine magnitude of association. In addition, governments should also recommend strategies to mitigate risks on minority ethnicities due to socioeconomic disadvantages.