Why is Covid-19 ‘racist’ but not ‘ageist’?

It appears nothing and no-one is safe from being accused of racism nowadays: statues, bra names and even Covid-19. Referring to evidence that coronavirus disproportionately affects black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME), as well as men and those who are obese, Tory peer Lord Bethall has said: ‘This disease is racist, fattist and sexist and we need to understand why it is discriminatory in all these areas.’ But does a greater susceptibility to disease due to risk factors like race really make an infectious disease ‘racist’? 

American epidemiologist Camara Phyllis Jones argues racism is a factor contributing to disease exposure, as black people are less well protected due to a variety of socio-economic factors, but also because those with pre-existing medical conditions are more likely to develop severe symptoms. In Britain, an official inquiry into the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities has been launched. But there’s another demographic less spoken for, whose chances of survival on contracting Covid-19 is seriously bleak.