A new study has found that London’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the world at 64%, the BBC reported Wednesday.
This figure is nine times higher than the average UK contamination rate, which is about seven percent and is said to be “one of the highest in the world,” the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found.
An ultra-Orthodox man dons a protective face mask and gloves as he walks through London’s Stamford Hill neighborhood during the pandemic
(Photo: Reuters)
The study used samples from about 15,000 members of London’s 23,000-strong strict Orthodox Jewish community.
According to the BBC, the investigation took place in the course of December, before another wave of infections swept the UK, meaning the current figures may be even higher.
The reasons behind these staggering numbers remain unclear, the researchers noted. Dr. However, Rosalind Eggo, the study’s co-author, said religious and minority ethnic groups are at higher risk of infection at all stages of the pandemic.
Ultra-Orthodox man walks down the street in London
(Photo: Getty Images)
While higher population density and poverty among the capital’s ultra-Orthodox community may explain some of the excessive morbidity, Jewish men in Britain are still twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than their Christian counterparts – even after correction for socio-economic factors.
The average ultra-Orthodox family is between five and six people, compared to the UK average of 2.3.