Abstract
Evidence exists for an epidemiological trend of transmission concentrations of COVID-19 within migrant communities from tropical weather conditions. Minority groups are over-represented in hospitalisations and deaths from the virus, and it appears that the observed anomaly may be due to multifactorial causes. Underactive immune responses in cooler temperatures and diminished synthesis of vitamin D, both of which are associated with genetic factors among ethnic minority groups, could help to explain the higher incidence of COVID-19 among ethnic minority communities. Neither factor is specific to a migrant community but common to general populations. The overstatement of contributory genetic factors runs the risk of racial stigmatisation. If environmental factors are given their due importance, individuals belonging to ethnic minorities may try to adopt new ways to combat the pandemic, while overemphasising racial factors would only leave them helpless. The renewed interest of psychiatrists in immunology would support the emerging field of immunopsychiatry. COVID-19 is environmentally sensitive, and all medical specialities, including the mental health profession, should contribute their wisdom to defeating or making a truce with the viral phenomenon.
Highlights
A higher infection rate of COVID-19 has been associated with immigrant communities from countries located in temperate climate zones
The finding that the first 10 doctors in the UK to die from COVID-19 were from ethnic minorities, along with observational data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre, showing that a third of COVID-19 patients admitted to critical care units are from an ethnic minority background that generated concerns about the link between ethnicity and COVID-19 in the UK [1, 2]
Cook et al pinpointed that of 119 NHS staff who died from COVID-19, 64 were from ethnic minority backgrounds [3]
Summary
A higher infection rate of COVID-19 has been associated with immigrant communities from countries located in temperate climate zones. Underactive immune responses in cooler temperatures and diminished synthesis of vitamin D, both of which are associated with genetic factors among ethnic minority groups, could help to explain the higher incidence of COVID-19 among ethnic minority communities. Environmental factors of immunity, rather than genetic factors, are considered to be responsible for the high incidence of complications among ethnic minorities.
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