Tributes to two 'icons' of Wales' black community as figures show black people are at higher risk of Covid-19 deaths
Tributes have been paid to two 'icons' of Wales' black community. Donna Campbell was a healthcare support worker at Velindre Cancer Centre and a member of Windrush Cymru Elders. Brian Mfula was a mental health nursing lecturer, described as "inspiring, warm and generous" by his colleagues at Swansea University.
Donna, 54, and Brian, 51, both died from Covid-19. Ify Iwobi knew both of them, and described their deaths as a "such a sad loss for the whole community - our Welsh community."
Ify has dedicated a song she wrote called 'See The Light' to her friends, Donna and Brian.
Ethnic minorities at higher risk of Covid-19
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows ethnic minorities are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19.
Black people are more than 4 times as likely to die a coronavirus-related death, after accounting for age.
People of Bangladeshi and Pakistani, Indian, and mixed ethnicities also had an increased risk of death involving Covid-19 compared with those of white ethnicity, the ONS found.
The ONS found increased mortality rates due to Covid-19 for all ethnic minority groups, except for in Chinese women.
Scientists have suggested potential reasons for this discrepancy, including the fact that ethnic minorities are likely to be poorer and to have underlying health conditions.
When age and other socio-demographic characteristics and measures of self-reported health and disability were taken into account the figure reduce but people from black ethnicities were still 1.9 times more likely to die from a Covid-19 related death than people of white backgrounds in England and Wales.
How is the Welsh Government tackling the issue?
The Welsh Government said it is "aware of the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on people from BAME communities" and is "working with communities across Wales and the UK to understand the reasons why". It said the issues are likely to be "many and complex."
It has set up an advisory group in Wales, chaired by Judge Ray Singh, which has met twice. It also said sub-committees will consider wider socio-economic factors and issues for the workforce.
The Welsh Government has asked a team of scientists to create a risk assessment for people from ethnic minority backgrounds on the front line.
Dr Keshav Singhal, from the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin said the group is currently "fine tuning" this risk assessment tool and it hopes to have it out for public consumption and for health boards this week.
An early version of that risk assessment, sent to doctors and nurses by the Aneurin Bevan health trust, suggests they plan to identify the BAME workers most at risk - and consider moving them into lower risk work, or providing them with extra PPE.
But Trade Unions feel that risk assessments should apply to all BAME people - not just those working in health and social care.
Shavanah Taj from the TUC said: "Once the lockdown eases, any health and safety risk assessment that’s Covid specific needs to have an additional framework that covers BAME workers specifically."
Watch Charanpreet Khaira's report from 8 May: