The fair distribution of the Covid19- vaccine is a fundamental human right. At the moment, unfortunately, we are witnessing racial discrimination in vaccination in the UK. Asian minorities and blacks, who are generally poor, will be more vulnerable in the coming months.
Minorities Are More at Risk of Coronavirus
Official statistics in the UK show that coronavirus deaths are much lower among whites than other ethnicities. Figures released by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reinforce concerns over inequalities among religious and ethnic groups. Muslim males in England and Wales have the highest death toll from Covid-19 among all religious groups, according to data released by the ONS. Figures released by the ONS on Friday show that during the first few months of the coronavirus outbreak, the mortality rate among Muslim males was 198.9 deaths per 100,000 people, and 98.2 deaths per 100,000 for females. In contrast, those identifying with “no religion” – based on responses to the 2011 Census – had the lowest death rate, with 80.7 deaths per 100,000 males and 47.9 deaths per 100,000 females. After comparing other factors, such as deprivation and health, the office’s statistics showed that the death rate among the black population was also higher for coronary artery disease, with black men twice as likely and black women 1.4 times more likely to die from the disease than a similar white population. Statistics show that the risk of death among Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian men is also significantly higher than among white men. The risk of coronavirus deaths was also higher among Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs.
British Officials Deny Discrimination in Vaccination
Although official statistics show that there is discrimination in the treatment of the coronavirus among patients, British officials are trying to downplay the issue. They try to link this to other factors by saying this is not an organised approach. Nick Stripe, the head of life events at the ONS, said that in most cases the increase in death toll among some religious groups was due to geographical, economic and social factors. Analyses show that blacks are more at risk of coronary heart disease death than other groups, and comparisons of socioeconomic factors and geographical location partly explain this increased risk. The risk of death is twice as high for black men and 1.5 times higher for black women. There are also significant differences among Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian men. He says, of course, because religion is not recorded in death certificates, the Office for National Statistics uses the 2011 census to determine the religion of individuals and other demographic factors, and continues to investigate the impact of other factors on increased risk.
These denials come at a time when the Labour Party, in the midst of the virus outbreak and rising death toll, has warned that although the coronavirus in the UK is spreading to everyone in society, it cannot be affected by the virus affecting poor, black, Asian and minority communities. Shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, rejected Boris Johnson’s claim of “we have done everything we could” to minimise the death toll, adding: “I do not accept that”. The government also failed to create a working contact-tracing system, did not introduce effective health controls at the borders and has not offered “proper sick pay”, he said. The party called on the government to set up a commission to investigate medical inequalities and report on the life expectancy and health of the British people.
The British Medical Association’s Advice to Doctors on Coronary Heart Disease
At the same time as the sudden rise in the number of people dying of coronary heart disease and the lack of medical capacities in the UK, the government instructed doctors to use the existing capacities for patients who had a better chance of survival. The guidelines, issued by the British Medical Association, meant that doctors had to make decisions about the life and death of patients and had to give up treating some patients in order to treat those who had a better chance of survival. The guidelines explain that physicians will be able to stop medical services, especially artificial respiration, even for patients who are recovering but are not in a good general condition, so that other patients can be treated. The British Medical Association advised physicians to make an immediate decision about a patient’s eligibility for medical care in the wake of the pandemic in the country. The association claims that although all people are equal, this does not mean that everyone should be treated equally. Dr John Chisholm, chair of the BMA’s medical ethics committee, also endorsed the decision, claiming that no one was happy about it, but that difficult decisions have to be made when medical resources are under pressure. Such inhumane instructions were issued at a time when the UK is suffering medical shortages in the midst of the fight with the pandemic. The government has preferred to sidestep the issue instead of trying to provide more medical facilities and advises its medical staff to discriminate against patients and act on personal discretion, bypassing medical ethics and oaths.
Rising Concerns in the UK over the Return of Gender Inequality
Discriminatory and unequal treatment has existed in the UK for decades, and despite efforts to reduce it, discrimination is still a part of people’s lives in the country. New polls show that half of British women worry about a return to the gender inequality days of the 1970s due to the impact of the pandemic. One year after the start of the pandemic, women are more exposed to job losses, the responsibility of teaching children at home, and working from home, and they are increasingly worried about their future. About half of the women surveyed by the Mumsent on International Women’s Day said that they expect gender inequality to return to normal in the next few years. With the reopening of schools in the UK, the survey found that 70% of women have borne the brunt of holiday breaks by studying at home. Three-quarters of women polled said their husbands were able to get jobs during the quarantine without any problems; one in five British mothers said they had to reduce their working hours to take care of their children, and more than a third said they were professionally injured, while their spouses were not. “This survey paints a fairly depressing picture of how gender inequality has been exacerbated during the pandemic, with women really struggling to cope,” said Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts. He stressed the need to adopt an appropriate strategy to address the inequality caused by Covid-19 and said that we face a real danger of returning to the 1970s in terms of women’s economic power. Gender inequality against women is not a new issue in the UK. Women in the country have previously protested against gender discrimination and inequality between men and women.
The coronavirus has targeted most minorities in the UK. British women are also deeply concerned about discriminatory treatment by the UK government in the post-Covid era, fearing that the situation will return to decades ago and that they will not be able to return to their normal lives. The UK government has been indifferent to these issues and has denied discrimination. However, published statistics and reports confirm the discriminatory attitude of the Boris Johnson government in the fight against the coronavirus, and this issue has led to many protests.
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