Exclusive: Midlands study shows South-Asian patients 42% more likely to die from Covid-19 than white people

• By ITV News reporter Nitya Rajan

South-Asian coronavirus patients are more likely to have an aggressive form of the disease and are 42% more likely to die than white patients, according to a new study seen exclusively by ITV News.

Authors of the paper, from the University Hospitals Birmingham, say it sheds more light on why the community may be being disproportionately affected.

Doctors say the results could help decide how to prioritise the complex needs of South-Asian survivors.

More than two thousand coronavirus patients were involved in study - and when things like age, sex, social deprivation and pre-existing medical conditions were taken into account, it found South-Asians were:

It had previously been thought BAME ethnic groups had suffered the most from the disease because they were not seeking medical help quickly enough.

But Elizabeth Sapey, the lead author of the study, found that wasn’t the case.

Two other larger studies have arrived at similar conclusions for other minority groups. But as hospitals begin to pass through their first peak of infections, doctors says this could help decide how to prioritise the very complex needs of south Asian survivors.

The Government has launched a review into the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on BAME communities.

It’s set to report back at the end of this month (May).

Read more:

• Coronavirus fatalities among black and minority ethnic groups are disproportionately high, study finds

• BAME workers should be risk-assessed amid Covid-19 concerns, NHS England says

• People from black backgrounds four times more likely to die from virus than people from white backgrounds, ONS finds