The reggae singer Delroy Washington and Rahima Bibi Sidhanee are among those who died

It is supposed to be the great leveller. Covid-19 infects prince and pauper alike. A virus that attacks porters and prime ministers is indeed indiscriminate. Unless you are black.

Widespread fears of disproportionate coronavirus infection rates in Britain’s ethnic minority communities have not yet been confirmed by statistical evidence. When it comes to deaths, however, an analysis by The Times of NHS mortality figures has found that black people are dying with Covid-19 in English hospitals at almost twice the rate of white Britons.

Death rates per 100,000 population as categorised by NHS England and the Office for National Statistics were 23 for white British, 27 for Asians and 43 for black people.

There was a greater variance within smaller ethnic groupings. The mortality rate