UK’s Channel 4 asks ‘Is Covid Racist?’ in new doc

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned STV Studios to produce a documentary exploring why Covid-19 has killed a higher number of people of colour among Britain’s frontline National Health Service (NHS) workers.

The 1 x 60-minute programme with the working title of Is Covid Racist? is authored and presented by Dr Ronx, an A&E doctor based in East London, who reveals how more BAME frontline NHS staff have died from Covid-19 and what the statistics can reveal about structural failing in UK society.

Dr Ronx will interrogate the possible causes, expose truths about health and race inequality in the UK, demand answers and reveal solutions about what can be done to fix this problem. It will be broadcast in winter 2020.

Harjeet  Chhokar, commissioning editor for factual at Channel 4, said: “The high percentage of BAME frontline workers in the NHS who have died from Covid is a shocking stat. And we don’t really know why. With Dr Ronx’s medical background, they are the perfect person to investigate the reasons behind these shocking statistics but also to tell the stories of those who have lost their lives and the impact it has had on those around them.”

Craig Hunter, creative director of factual at STV Studios, said: “It’s essential that we understand why a disproportionate number of BAME people have died as a result of Covid-19. Never has it been more crucial to understand the reasons why this tragic disparity exists, and Dr Ronx is uniquely placed to bring this issue to light for Channel 4.”