All the doctors dying are Asian - what’s going on?

[MMXVi]

And why is nobody asking questions about this?

I’m over-invested in the answer because my sister is a doctor very much on the frontline, and we’re of Indian ethnicity. I want her to be protected and if she’s facing some sort of additional genetic, behavioural or dietary risk I want that flagged up to her and other doctors PDQ, not to mention their patients of the same ethnicity.

If I see another glib and possibly slightly racist response about BAME people being poorer and therefore more prone to underlying conditions I’ll flip my lid totally by the way. There’s a world of difference between an Asian hospital consultant on £150k in stockbrokerville and someone Asian on the breadline in an overcrowded council flat, and it isn’t helpful to lump them together in this instance.

So far, I’ve seen a thread about Vitamin D3 deficiency making darker-skinned people more susceptible to respiratory illness. That makes sense to me, and I’ve already ordered some from Amazon for my sister as well as the rest of our family.

My mother (not medically qualified) has a touching belief in the anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic powers of turmeric so I’m making daal as we speak.

My dad (retired very senior doctor and the veteran of more than one pandemic) says probably multi-factorial, but as he’s currently recovering from cancer and therefore very high risk, I’m not going to make him elaborate.

Any other ideas and theories?

Anyone else concerned about why the press have neglected to mention this glaringly obvious information?

I do think blood group and vitamin D may also be a factor.
This really does need to be looked at and compared to the general population demographics.

My dad did mention age being a possible risk factor. It’s quite common for Asian doctors to work well into their 70s (as indeed he did) because it’s culturally something of a quasi-religious vocation. There’s even a telling Hindu proverb, “Work is a prayer.”

I think it definitely has something to do with the ethnic makeup.
For example if you go to St Thomas’ ( where Boris Johnson is) most of the doctors, nurses, carers and cleaners are Asian or of Nigerian descent.
I really don’t think it’s to do with income tbh

I was going to mention the vitamin d theory but you've said it in the op.

I've also read and heard on the radio discussions about Muslims being more vulnerable to it due to closer ties with extended family and not distancing. I think Maajid Nawaz said a few weeks ago that at that time most of the cases in the UK that had been confirmed were Muslim people and I think most of the Muslim population in the UK are of Asian heritage so maybe that's part of it.

It’s not just medics. Also Somali women living in Sweden.

Take your vitamin D!!!!!

How close fitting do the masks need to be? Have face masks been moddled on a western face, making them a poorer fit for other ethnicities? Probably also moddled on a male face, making them a looser fit for females too?

Vit D, and possibly zinc wont hurt in the slightest.
Thank you to your sister

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-52219070

I found this on Google. Doesn't mention the vitamin d theory though.

Vit D deficiency & diabetes/prediabetes with associated cardiovascular risk factors are thought to be part of the explanation, especially when the patient has a high BMI.

I'd also be interested to know if height is a factor as often Asian people are shorter and have slightly lower lung capacity.

I hope all your family come through this safely.

Isn't it just the proportion of doctors being Asian?

Most of the nurses that have died so far have not been Asian?

The theory that I have heard has been linked to vit D3 deficiency too.

Some folk are starting to take note of this - have a look at www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-bame-white-covid-19-study-a9454496.html as one example and eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/07/who-dying-coronavirus-more-black-people-die-major-cities/2961323001/ for starters

The vitamin D theory has also been outlined in some medical journals and elsewhere.

I've seen this discussed a lot, not just in relation to medics, it appears to be a well documented statistic I'd think it's being researched, if there is something relevant the more information the world has the better.

We are more likely to suffer comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, low Vit D etc.

It’s also more common to continue working after retirement, so adding yet another likelihood of risk due to age.

Maybe because there is a high percentage of Asian doctors and medical staff? Every doctor I've seen at my surgery for the past 10 years has been Asian and also one of the surgeons that helped deliver my DS by c-section was Asian too. I've spent the majority of my adult life being treated by Asian doctors.

I ask for what I would say is 'my doctor' when I make an appointment. She is Asian and I like her, she makes me feel comfortable and is a great doctor. She is in high demand at my surgery. I hope it's not a genetic thing but it may well could be

What has been the average age? Could it be to do with working until older, vit d deficiency, and a disproportionate amount of BAME doctors?

@perniciousdot why on earth would you report this?

There's a lot of ongoing research into genetic susceptibility (not just ACE2) - can't find anything published yet on Pubmed though.

I was also wondering if there was a connection also. Vit D would make sense. These are amazing people, who have given their lives for others. 👏👏

I have some vitamin D tablets and I am going to insist we take them. I have a tendency to low Vit D. I don't think DH has ever been tested.

I came across an article recently where scientists tried to examine if people with blood group A were indeed more prone to get infected with Covid-19, while people with blood group O were less prone to get infected. Early findings hinted that way, but this obviously needs further investigation. I have no idea how prevalent blood group A is in Asia though? I hope your sister & DF will be okay.

Some people have suggested its because of the preference for multicultural households

To be fair to perniciousdot I think she meant that it had been reported on in the news.

I wondered if there is some level of institutional racism which means BAME medical professionals are more likely to be put in risky situations without sufficient PPE. I have no idea whether that might be the case.

No definitely not. That is not how the NHS operates! Some of these tragic deaths may be linked to underlying conditions and the level of exposure from infected patients. The most important factor at the present time is to ensure that all frontline medical staff have adequate PPE. Some of these people may have been infected when treating patients before they were tested. It happened in China but despite being aware of this virus there was a big delay in routinely testing hospital in/out patients in the UK.

A lot of doctors are Asian, especially in London and the West Midlands where there are large clusters. Others potential explanations, such as predisposition to some diseases or vitamin D deficiency are very interesting to read of course, perhaps they have a role.

It's a shame that this thread has been reported. Race isn't some dirty issue that shouldn't be discussed. It's very relevant medically, and there's a reason medical records include ethnic origin.

Junior doctors are more likely to be white. More than 40% of senior doctors are Asian.

While that still doesn't explain all being non-white (there was a Nigerian), most cases have been in Birmingham and London. Not many people dying in Hull.

I imagine when you take away the regional differences, the actual age profiles of white and non-white doctors, this will be less surprising.

Most of the nurses and midwives who have died have been white women.