London — Black people are twice as likely as white people to catch the coronavirus, a study of 18 million people suggests.

The research also indicates Asian people are 1.5 times more likely than white people to be infected – and may be more likely to need intensive care, BBC writes.

Researchers say their findings are of “urgent public-health importance” and raise questions about how vaccines will be prioritised within at-risk groups.

The work, in EClinical Medicine , adds support to other studies’ findings.

There has been mounting evidence people belonging to ethnic minorities are at greater risk from Covid-19.

But whether the risks centre around a higher likelihood of catching the disease or of developing more severe illness from the virus is not fully understood.

The researchers at the universities of Leicester and Nottingham looked at data from eight UK and 42 US studies.

Some tentative evidence suggests Asian people may be at higher risk of death than other groups, they found.