There is a growing body of evidence, however, that pulse oximetry is less accurate in darker skinned patients. Given the increased mortality amongst ethnic minority patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is possible that the differential accuracy of pulse oximetry is a contributing factor to this health inequality

In the U.K., a recent poll suggested that while Britons were strongly supportive of vaccine passports in principle, agreement broke down when asked whether they should be compulsory for pub visits. For marginalised groups, this feels like nudge theory to overcome a reluctance (based on real trauma) to trust public health services: “some employees who don’t want to get the vaccine feel harassed and ostracized.”

High levels of deprivation and job insecurity, vast income inequality, housing discrimination and medical disparities have long had a severe impact on the tangle of communities and ethnic minority populations that live in these boroughs. But when combined with the necessity to go to work, to take public transport and to share space in densely packed housing, they also provided the perfect breeding ground for a deadly virus. The domino effect would prove catastrophic.

Actor David Harewood's BBC documentary explores why people of colour are more likely to die from Covid-19.

Birthrights is convening an inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care, led by an expert panel with barrister Shaheen Rahman QC as Chair.

Childbirth rights group supports examination into disproportionate health outcomes

NHS England is facing growing criticism from public health leaders over its failure to publish data on the ethnicity of people who have been vaccinated against covid-19

Concerns about the low take up of vaccines by black & Asian community. Calls for data on ethnicity to be collected as part of vaccine uptake data collection

Disparity with white women shows need for action, doctors say, despite slight improvement in mortality rate