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Kumar RIP.
This is really sad. Kumar and everyone at FreshGo, my local shop, worked incredibly hard 365 days a year. No other shop is open from 6am to 11pm without fail. These guys need to be recognised as essential workers. They dealt with working in close proximity with some real idiots, drunks, teenagers nicking stuff. It's tragic that their hard work and the success of their shop has resulted in this.
Regarding the question of whether BAME people are more vulnerable. I don;t think it's a genetic thing. But people of Asian and African heritage often do jobs like this where they have a high exposure, I'm thinking cleaners and carers as well as shopkeepers. If I worked 17 hour shifts in a cramped shop I'd be at higher risk, too.
William.-
Was gutted to hear about Kumar, was my local shop up until recently, as you say these guys work real hard and have to put up with so many idiots. Did ask them once why they let people get away with the 'Pay you tomorrow boss' or the 'I'll give you 50p for this' they said it was easier for them to do this then the hassle of getting more grief over a can of beer.
There is a donation page which started out at £500 when I donated yesterday it was nearly £3000.
RIP Kumar
CanonAxe
More Asian men have died. Kumar (if that was his name, it seems to have been taken by the journalist from a Facebook post by someone who knew him) I may have met, as I always used to get some food in the shop where he worked before starting the London Classic/Cobblemonster (it's just across the street from the Gipsy Hill Tavern). RIP.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/20/london-death-shines-light-on-covid-19-threat-to-local-shopworkers
Obviously, it's still not clear whether people of Asian and African extraction seem to be more susceptible to the virus than white Europeans; general state of health and the jobs that people tend to do could also be a major factor. I think the suspicion was first generated by the disproportionate deaths of Asian and some African health workers, including a dozen doctors.