Clinical outcomes following COVID-19 infection in ethnic minority groups in the UK: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the differences in clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection between ethnic minorities and the White ethnic group in the UK. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This study included adult residents in the UK with confirmed COVID-19 infection. The outcomes evaluated in this study were mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Outcome data were compared between individuals from ethnic minority groups and individuals from a White ethnic background. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, medRxiv and PROSPERO were searched for articles published between May 2020 and April 2021. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale checklist. PROSPERO ID: CRD42021248117. RESULTS: Fourteen studies (767,177 participants) were included in the current review. In the adjusted analysis, the pooled odds ratio (OR) for mortality following COVID-19 infection was higher for Black (OR 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21–2.76, number of studies [k] = 6), Asian (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 0.85–1.57, k = 6) and Mixed and Other (MO) ethnic groups (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.20, k = 5) compared with the White ethnic group. The adjusted and unadjusted ORs of ICU admission for many of the ethnic minority groups were more than double the OR values for the White ethnic group (Black ethnic group = OR 2.32, 95% CI: 1.73–3.11, k = 5; Asian ethnic group = OR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.89–2.90, k = 5; and MO ethnic group = OR 2.26, 95% CI: 1.64–3.11, k = 4). In the adjusted analysis for IMV, the ORs were similarly significantly raised in ethnic minority groups compared with the White ethnic group (Black ethic group = OR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.80–2.29, k = 3; Asian ethnic group = OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.20–2.80, k = 3; and MO ethnic group = OR 2.09, 95% CI: 1.35–3.22, k = 3). CONCLUSION: This review found that in the UK, Black, Asian and MO ethnic groups experienced increased COVID-19–related disease severity and mortality compared with the White ethnic group majority.