Black and Pakistani people more likely to die from COVID-19 - UK data

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

I heard a black senior doctor saying the same thing on the radio. She's been calling for the government to run a campaign to promote vitamin D supplements for the black and Asian community. She believes the authorities won't do this for fear of stirring up anger in those communities, i.e. for suggesting those people are somehow physically inferior. 

You heard.

 

 

[CG1 Blue]

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

2 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

I heard a black senior doctor saying the same thing on the radio. She's been calling for the government to run a campaign to promote vitamin D supplements for the black and Asian community. She believes the authorities won't do this for fear of stirring up anger in those communities, i.e. for suggesting those people are somehow physically inferior. 

You heard.

Yes, I heard her saying it. Do you have a hearing problem then? 

[7by7]

22 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

I heard a black senior doctor saying the same thing on the radio. She's been calling for the government to run a campaign to promote vitamin D supplements for the black and Asian community. She believes the authorities won't do this for fear of stirring up anger in those communities, i.e. for suggesting those people are somehow physically inferior. 

 She believes wrongly.

 

As a doctor she should know that NICE, amongst others, have been promoting vitamin D supplements amongst people of Black and South Asian ethnicity for some time; long before the current crisis in fact.

 

This paper is from 2014: Vitamin D: supplement use in specific population groups

Quote

People at risk

.....People with darker skin are at increased risk of deficiency as their skin is less efficient at synthesising vitamin D. In other words, they need to expose their skin to sunlight for longer to make the same amount of vitamin D as people with paler skin. People of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian family origin, and those who remain covered when outside, are at particular risk. Almost 75% of Asian adults may have low vitamin D status in the winter........

........The Health Survey for England (NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care 2010) found that 35% of adults in London had low status compared to the national average of 24%. (For more details see the expert paper 'Vitamin D intakes and status'). This may reflect the higher number of people from the minority ethnic groups at risk of vitamin D deficiency living in London, compared to other parts of England.

 

UK recommendations on vitamin D supplements

All UK health departments (for example, see the 2012 Chief Medical Officers' report Vitamin D – advice on supplements for at risk groups) and NICE (see our pathways on antenatal care and maternal and child nutrition) have issued evidence-based guidance on vitamin D supplements for various population groups. 

 

 

[CG1 Blue]

3 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

 She believes wrongly.

 

As a doctor she should know that NICE, amongst others, have been promoting vitamin D supplements amongst people of Black and South Asian ethnicity for some time; long before the current crisis in fact.

 

This paper is from 2014: Vitamin D: supplement use in specific population groups

 

 

And how many people from the black and south Asian community will have read that paper from NICE do you think? Did you know about it before you searched in Google? 

[7by7]

11 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

And how many people from the black and south Asian community will have read that paper from NICE do you think? Did you know about it before you searched in Google? 

Not very many; and whilst I expected there was some form of advice on the subject from the NHS or NICE, I did have to search for a specific paper on the subject. That being just one of many, by the way.

 

But I am not a doctor. I expect doctors to be aware of the advice and advise their patients accordingly.

 

However, my reason for posting it was to show that the unnamed doctor you heard on an unattributed source say that she 

22 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

believes the authorities won't do this for fear of stirring up anger in those communities, i.e. for suggesting those people are somehow physically inferior. 

believes wrongly.

 

As was made clear by my beginning the post with "She believes wrongly."

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by 7by7

[CG1 Blue]

52 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

Not very many; and whilst I expected there was some form of advice on the subject from the NHS or NICE, I did have to search for a specific paper on the subject. That being just one of many, by the way.

 

But I am not a doctor. I expect doctors to be aware of the advice and advise their patients accordingly.

 

However, my reason for posting it was to show that the unnamed doctor you heard on an unattributed source say that she 

believes wrongly.

 

As was made clear by my beginning the post with "She believes wrongly."

 

 

Why do you think she believes wrongly? I think it's a reasonable assumption she makes. What other reasons could there be for this advice not being promoted more widely? 

 

She was a guest on LBC - with Ian Dale I think. Unfortunately I didn't catch her name. 

[7by7]

40 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

Why do you think she believes wrongly? 

For the reasons I have already given. 

 

42 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

I think it's a reasonable assumption she makes. What other reasons could there be for this advice not being promoted more widely? 

Except it is being promoted widely. By, for example, the BBC, the Independent, the Guardian and the Mail to name just four. 

 

Now those articles do all say that we all should be taking vitamin D supplements as we are spending less time outdoors; but they also all mention the increased risk to Black and Asian people and others with dark skins.

 

48 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

She was a guest on LBC - with Ian Dale I think. Unfortunately I didn't catch her name. 

She should have checked her facts before making assumptions. As Ian Dale, or whoever, should have done so he could challenge her on her, as shown, false belief.

 

[RuamRudy]

56 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

For the reasons I have already given. 

 

Except it is being promoted widely. By, for example, the BBC, the Independent, the Guardian and the Mail to name just four. 

 

Now those articles do all say that we all should be taking vitamin D supplements as we are spending less time outdoors; but they also all mention the increased risk to Black and Asian people and others with dark skins.

 

She should have checked her facts before making assumptions. As Ian Dale, or whoever, should have done so he could challenge her on her, as shown, false belief.

 

If I understand correctly, it is already widely recognised that people of specific ancestry are predisposed to certain afflictions - sickle cell anemia, for example, predominantly affecting people with African or Afro-Caribbean heritage. 

[CG1 Blue]

2 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

If I understand correctly, it is already widely recognised that people of specific ancestry are predisposed to certain afflictions - sickle cell anemia, for example, predominantly affecting people with African or Afro-Caribbean heritage. 

Yes that's absolutely right. It's common for black couples to have blood tests before trying for children. Because if they both carry the sickle cell gene their offspring will be born with sickle cell anaemia. This has been common knowledge for decades. 

I think the vitamin D deficiency is only being widely talked about now. Or what I should say is Vitamin D being linked to the immune system. 

[CG1 Blue]

3 hours ago, 7by7 said:

For the reasons I have already given. 

 

Except it is being promoted widely. By, for example, the BBC, the Independent, the Guardian and the Mail to name just four. 

 

Now those articles do all say that we all should be taking vitamin D supplements as we are spending less time outdoors; but they also all mention the increased risk to Black and Asian people and others with dark skins.

 

She should have checked her facts before making assumptions. As Ian Dale, or whoever, should have done so he could challenge her on her, as shown, false belief.

 

Jeez, you could start an argument in an empty room ????‍♂️

[7by7]

19 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

If I understand correctly, it is already widely recognised that people of specific ancestry are predisposed to certain afflictions - sickle cell anemia, for example, predominantly affecting people with African or Afro-Caribbean heritage. 

Indeed, which makes the argument that 

 

On 5/9/2020 at 1:01 PM, CG1 Blue said:

the authorities won't do this for fear of stirring up anger in those communities, i.e. for suggesting those people are somehow physically inferior. 

even more ridiculous.

 

I am not surprised that certain people have fallen for it; but am amazed that someone who is reportedly a senior doctor putting it forward as a serious point.

[7by7]

16 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

Jeez, you could start an argument in an empty room ????‍♂️

You asked me why I believed your source was wrong, I provided the evidence to show you why she is wrong.

 

End of. 

 

 

[nausea]

Yeah, it might be something to do with getting fresh air and sunshine.