Covid-19 and Racial Disparities

[Patrick Thistle]

All possible. It's not my paper. I just shared and summarised for info.

With high volume anonymised data they would be comparing on postcode area to quite a specific level, up to people on the same street and across occupations. In a 17 million data set it would be possible to compare, e.g. black and white bus drivers who live within half a mile of each other. We can do that sort of thing in Wales with our dataset of 3 million.

[ursus arctos]

That's a good start on a list of the many factors that could impact the results but are very difficult to control for.

There is also evidence that the constant stress that people of colour experience in a fundamentally racist society has tangibly negative health effects, a condition that Arline Geronimus, a professor at Michigan who has spent much of her career on this, has called "weathering".

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswi...or-your-health

[anton pulisov]

There's been a lot in the BMJ actually. There was an article published on 28 February regarding vitamin D deficiency in the BAME population and a call.for urgent research on it
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m810

There's a stat in that article about the Swedish Somali population being hugely more affected.

Swedish Somalis also happen to drive a lot of the taxis in Stockholm, and we know that taxi drivers were badly affected. To make things worse, the type of Stockholmers who go skiing in Italy have a bit of money, which also includes splashing out on a taxi from the airport after landing in Stockholm.

But then there was also a study a few years ago that found that something like 90% of Swedish Somalis have Vitamin D deficiency in winter. Their skin is designed for Somali sun. Swedish government should have been supplying them with Vitamin D supplements, pandemic or no pandemic.

So there are obviously multiple factors at play.

I wonder about the lack of cases in places like Australia and New Zealand, where a lot of white people are living in bright sun that their skin was not designed for, and the virus came into the country in late summer. Their bodies are probably overproducing Vitamin D.

[S. aureus]

Thanks for that, ursus, not seen it before but it makes sense.

[laverte]

Events like this virus ought to prompt the French media to ask whether it still makes sense to prohibit the collection of data to do with ethnicity. But no, not a word. Instead we have the surreal spectacle of news stories about how this global virus is infecting and killing ethnic minorities "over there" in the US and the UK, without even a nod to whether the same thing might be happening in France. in fact, it seems to be presented as confirmation that the "anglo-saxon" world is irredeemably unjust and unequal, again without so much as a passing reference to the fact that the French state forbids its citizens from having information that would allow them to know whether the same is true at home.

Meanwhile several departments in south west France are reporting substantial reductions in overall deaths compared with previous years, as the virus has stayed away and the confinement has led to fewer deaths from the usual causes (by which i do not only mean drink driving).

[San Bernardhinault]

I've come across the demographic data for San Diego (down the bottom of the Union-Tribune stats page: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...n-diego-county)

Our Hispanic population is getting the disease massive disproportionately. Nearly 60% of the cases (of known ethnicity), while they make up only 35% of the population.

Meanwhile, the black population (which is small, so perhaps the data is going to be subject to high variation) has an infection rate that basically matches the population (4.5% each, basically).

If I was guessing the cause, it would be that the black population here is largely military and ex-military, while the hispanic population does the worse (and more public facing) jobs.

-

One final odd thing - while the infection rate is disproportionately hispanic, if you look at mortality it very closely tracks the population percentages rather than infection percentages. Which means that - very strangely - white people with covid are actually more likely to die than hispanic people with covid (from our small sample).

[MsD]

The Labour Party are having a Zoom discussion about it:

Today a study was released suggesting Black people are four times more likely to die from coronavirus than White people. It is shocking. We cannot wait to act.

We're proud that Keir Starmer has asked Doreen Lawrence to head up an investigation into the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities.

Now she's inviting you to join the conversation. On Tuesday you can join thousands of members as Baroness Doreen Lawrence holds a live video call with some of Labour's amazing new Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority MPs.

Taking it seriously, at least.

[Satchmo Distel]

France is a good case study of how "race blind" is actually racist, i.e. denial of race-based inequities and subsequent economic redress leads to a conclusion that poverty must be their fault.

[Tactical Genius]

The Labour Party are having a Zoom discussion about it:

Today a study was released suggesting Black people are four times more likely to die from coronavirus than White people. It is shocking. We cannot wait to act.

We're proud that Keir Starmer has asked Doreen Lawrence to head up an investigation into the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities.

Now she's inviting you to join the conversation. On Tuesday you can join thousands of members as Baroness Doreen Lawrence holds a live video call with some of Labour's amazing new Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority MPs.

Taking it seriously, at least.

Sounds like a bunch of people getting together to waffle with little outcome.
This discussion should be taking place by scientist assisted by statisticians etc.
Once they have found the causes (or cause), they should then pass it onto politicians to make policy to safeguard vulnerable populations.
When it was suspected only white people were dying, we didn't get all this endless waffle and grandstanding.

[Patrick Thistle]

I dunno TG, the waffle has been noticeable from the start.

There have been discussions about greater steps being taken to protect BAME NHS staff. (It's tricky though. How do you tell a consultant head of specialty that they are only allowed to do phone triage from home because they are in a higher risk group due to their skin colour?)

[Satchmo Distel]

The definitive source of state by state statistics in the US (Florida's disparity is officially lower than in most states but its reporting procedures are dubious):

https://www.apmresearchlab.org/covid/deaths-by-race

Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...e_iOSApp_Other

NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/u...cans-bias.html

[Tactical Genius]

I dunno TG, the waffle has been noticeable from the start.

There have been discussions about greater steps being taken to protect BAME NHS staff. (It's tricky though. How do you tell a consultant head of speciality that they are only allowed to do phone triage from home because they are in a higher risk group due to their skin colour?)

You tell them in exactly the way you outlined just outlined. This is 2020 remote consultations and diagnosis is pretty commonplace. If you really valued the life of this person, you would definitely insist.

[Satchmo Distel]

Being Black Is Bad For Your Health:

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs...and-minorities

Mapping Life Expectancy:

https://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/t...xpectancy.html

[MsD]

Sounds like a bunch of people getting together to waffle with little outcome.
This discussion should be taking place by scientist assisted by statisticians etc.
Once they have found the causes (or cause), they should then pass it onto politicians to make policy to safeguard vulnerable populations.
When it was suspected only white people were dying, we didn't get all this endless waffle and grandstanding.

I’m sure that dismissal has nothing to do with my having posted it, eh.
Came here to post some more info but I won’t bother, which I’m sure will meet with more snark, but never mind, back on ignore (which I only took off to check whether it was worth my joining the Zoom thing on Saturday ... no thanks).

[Tactical Genius]

MsD, are you so starved and desperate for attention, I guess you are so I will indulge by giving you some.

I’m sure that dismissal has nothing to do with my having posted it, eh.

I thought you had me on ignore poster?
errm no, I have said the same thing numerous times. Can you point out any concrete policy that has emerged out of all this talk/study/observation?
Indeed, so I am obviously right.

Came here to post some more info but I won’t bother, which I’m sure will meet with more snark,

How old are you, that's some childish petulant nonsense.
Look, don't come on here fronting like you were going to drop some classified super secret info MsD, we all know it was some cut and paste of a news article we could all find with 5 seconds of googling or a tweet.

but never mind, back on ignore (which I only took off to check whether it was worth my joining the Zoom thing on Saturday ... no thanks).

That's a shame, I was on the zoom call on Saturday and every single person asked "where is MsD, we really miss MsD". We all sat there bored and un-entertained hoping you would grace us with your presence.
I feel so bad now.

[MsD]

Tactical Genius Tactical Genius,

I assure you the last thing I want is attention from the likes of you. Please put me on ignore, I'm sick of your digs, innuendos and snideness.

It's a string of micro-aggressions and personal attacks, close to bullying. Obviously some people like you, interact with them, and leave me alone. I have nothing to say to you.

[Tactical Genius]

MsD, I do not put people on ignore, that's what cowards do in my opinion.

I don't do digs, innuendos and snideness as everyone knows, If I have an issue with what you say, I come out and say it.

It's a string of micro-aggressions and personal attacks, close to bullying. Obviously some people like you, interact with them, and leave me alone. I have nothing to say to you.

If you post on OTF expect people who disagree with you to challenge your POV.

Giving the impression I am singling you out for special treatment is really childish, but we both know what you are up to. It is not the first time nor am I the only poster.

[MsD]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ronavirus-laws

[Satchmo Distel]

Thanks, MsD. Here's the Liberty report:

https://libertyinvestigates.org.uk/a...navirus-fines/