A new study found that the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in London boasts one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the world, at 64%, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
This figure is nine times higher than the average British infection rate, which stands at about seven percent and is apparently “among the highest reported anywhere in the world,” said the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
An ultra-Orthodox man wears protective masks and gloves while walking in London’s Stamford Hill during a pandemic
(Photo: Reuters)
The research used samples from about 15,000 members of the strictly Orthodox Jewish community of 23,000 people in London.
According to the BBC, the study took place in December, before another wave of infections swept the UK, which means the current figures could be even higher.
The reasons behind these staggering numbers remain unclear, the researchers said. However, Dr. Rosalind Eggo, co-author of the study, said that religious and ethnic minority groups were at higher risk of infection at all stages of the pandemic.
An ultra-Orthodox man walks down the street in London
(Photo: Getty Images)
While higher population density and poverty in 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 adjustment according to socio-economic factors.
The average ultra-Orthodox family is between five and six people, compared to the UK average of 2.3.