By Ben Kerrigan-
Leicester MP Claudia Webbe has been tackled for claiming that higher ethnic diversity in Leicester has contributed to a ‘perfect storm’ of new cases putting her constituents at risk.
After making reference to poverty, more positive coronavirus tests and higher ethnic diversity in Leicester East, Ms Webb said they had contributed to a “perfect storm” which was putting her constituents at risk.
The Govt is drip feeding the truth,” Webbe tweeted. “A local Lockdown is on the cards for Leicester; a city where the minority make up the majority; thus a city where its residents are disproportionately at risk from #COVID19.
“Govt’s rush to ease lockdown is reckless.”
Reckless
However, the Mp has today herself been accused of being reckless by highlighting ethnic diversity in the context of new spikes in Covid-19. Critics say she is unwittingly perpetuating the notion that ethnic minorities as a group are more likely to catch and spread the virus in her constituency, and indirectly, the rest of the Uk too.
Ms Webb defended her position by saying she was making reference to a PHE England report which stated ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by Covid-19.
She told The Eye Of Media.Com:
69% of my constituents are an ethnic mix of African and Indian heritage. The last thing we need is an outbreak of the coronavirus. The PHE England report revealed that ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. The last thing we need is another outbreak of the virus.
We need as much help from the government to improve the livelihoods of my constituents, especially with the poverty in the area”.
The PHE report Ms Webb was referring to highlights a number of disparities between various groups of people suffering from the disease. It highlights age, gender, and ethnicity as some of the groups disproportionately represented among those severely ill from the disease or who die from it.
Critics say it is important for any citing of the report’s reference to the disproportionate impact of the virus to BAME groups to highlight that it refers mainly to those who also have pre-existing conditions, and not just the general BAME population.
Researcher and Eye Of Media Thinktank member, Hortensia Daniels, said: ”Ms Webb appears to be calling for support and attention to her constituents, but in the process is most likely unknowingly contributing to the spread of the idea that ethnic minorities are a group to be worried about because they are disproportionately at risk from the virus.
”It’s not a healthy position to have because the report was mainly talking about the low survival rates of ethnic minorities from Covid-19. It is important to be aware that of the reasons there were more ethnic minority deaths was because many ethnic key workers were not prioritised during a shortage of PPE equipments.
Many from the black communities have described the preference given to white key workers as racism in action in the Nhs, but others say it is natural for people to prioritise people from their own race without any racist intention, but as a result of managing a limited amount of PPE material.
There were also many nurses and doctors who came in from abroad to assist the Nhs with the multitude of Covid-19 cases. There simply wasn’t enough PPE material to go round. This would have led to the the virus to spread fast in many ethnic environments, affecting mainly those with comorbidities, that is other pre-exisiting conditions”.
Ms Daniels continued: ”The report states that only individuals fall under certain categories of the BAME group are disproportionately at risk. A flawed narrative, however unintentional can have other harmful consequences if people of various races begin to see them as a group to be avoided.
”We must not forget that the report also states that death rates from Covid-19 are higher in males than in females”.
Caring Occupations
The report also points to some of the factors affecting more BAME individuals. It say many were working in a range of caring occupations, including social care and nursing auxiliaries and assistants.
Also, those who drive passengers in road vehicles for a living including taxi and minicab drivers and chauffeurs; those working as security guards and related occupations; and those in care homes.
Age
The PHE report also found the largest disparity found was by age. Among people already diagnosed with COVID 19, people who were 80 or older were seventy times more likely to die than those under 40.
Males
‘Risk of dying among those diagnosed with COVID-19 was also higher in males than females; higher in those living in the more deprived areas than those living in the least deprived; and higher in those in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups than in White ethnic groups’, the report said.
The review said it was seeking to understand the social and structural determinants of health that may impact disparities in COVID-19 incidence, treatment, morbidity, and mortality in BAME groups.
‘ These analyses do not take into account the existence of comorbidities, which are strongly associated with the risk of death from COVID-19 and could explain some of these differences. When the data was analysed, the majority of testing had been offered to those in hospital with a medical need.
Confirmed cases therefore represent the population of people with severe disease, rather than all of those who get infected”, the report states’.
An extra 2 weeks of lockdown has been imposed on Leicester to address rises in infection rates in the city. There have been speculations that other cities are to follow.