THE latest data released by NHS England has revealed that 16.2 per cent of COVID-19 victims in the UK are from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.
It also shows that these communities account for 35 per cent of all the coronavirus patients in intensive care.
But, BAME constitutes only 13 per cent of the total population.
These figures are published days after a review was announced to examine what appears to be a disproportionate number of BAME people who have been affected by COVID-19.
The first ten doctors to die in the UK from COVID-19 were all BAME - with ancestry from regions including Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Those with Indian heritage are the most affected, making up three per cent of hospital deaths, followed by those from the Caribbean at 2.9 per cent and Africans at 1.9 per cent, NHS data shows.
In the crucial healthcare sector, BAME people account for 70 per cent of all deaths. BAME staffs make up 44 per cent of medical personnel and Labour.
A London doctor working with COVID-19 patients said the virus has exposed health inequalities for minority communities.
Last week, Downing Street confirmed the NHS and Public Health England will lead the review of the evidence, following pressure on ministers to launch an investigation into the issue.
Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said that he wants ‘more clarity’ on the relationship between ethnicity and COVID-19 risk.
Forsyth was awarded a CBE for services to literature in 1997Getty Images