Disparities in the Impact of COVID-19 in Black and Minority Ethnic Populations: Review of the Evidence and Recommendations for Action

The Independent SAGE Report 6

The Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE)

Submitted to The UK Government and the People of Great Britain & Northern Ireland by Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Government, Chair of Independent SAGE

The question of why more people from black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds appear to be at greater risk of hospitalisation and deaths with COVID-19 – and the need for urgent action in order to address this – has become one of the most urgent issues in this pandemic in the UK.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4125713

Independent SAGE © 2020 The authors. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Keywords: BME, COVID-19, minorities, ethnic minorities, black, indie_SAGE, SAGE, UK Government, black and ethnic minority, impact, population, GB, death, risk, Marmot Review, disadvantage

What is the Independent SAGE?

‘We are following the ​science’ is the message the British public have been hearing from government since COVID-19 mitigating measures began. It says it is following the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). But the activities of the committee have been kept secret and excluded from scrutiny by the public or wider scientific community.

In response, on Monday May 4, the Independent SAGE convened as a group of preeminent experts from the UK and around the world. The aim of the Independent SAGE was and is to provide robust, independent advice to HM Government with the purpose of helping the UK navigate COVID-19 whilst minimising fatalities.

The Independent SAGE is chaired by former HM Government Chief Scientific Advisor Sir David King and draws on a range of international and British experts.

The Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) https://www.independentsage.org/