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Study suggests factors that could increase coronavirus risk in ethnic minorities

Study suggests factors that could increase coronavirus risk in ethnic minorities

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London using UK Biobank data have suggested heart disease and vitamin D levels do not explain the increased risk of coronavirus in black, Asian and minority ethnic people.

Both had been suggested as potential explanations for the greater risk in some groups.

It did not look at deaths, rather who was testing positive for the virus in hospital.

Their study, published in the Journal of Public Health, showed weight, poverty and crowded homes all contributed to a higher chance of having the virus.

"Although some of the factors we studied appeared important, none of them adequately explained the ethnicity differences. This is a really important question and one that we need to address urgently. There are a wide range of possible explanations including sociological, economic, occupational and other biological factors such as different genetic susceptibilities that need to be considered."

Researchers Dr Zahra Raisi-Estabragh and Prof Steffen Petersen

Even after taking them into account, people from ethnic minorities were still 59% more likely to test positive than those from white backgrounds and the reason remains unknown.

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