Many European countries avoid breaking down data along racial or ethnic lines out of concern over privacy or discrimination, but COVID-19's outsized impact on Black and Asian people has exposed flaws in the approach, some scientists and activists said.
They want more comprehensive data collection across the continent to improve understanding about how and why COVID-19 affects different communities, and thereby help countries tailor testing and care to better protect them.
There is no easy fix. Even in Britain, where more detailed data on race and ethnicity is available, there is debate over the root causes of higher infections among certain groups.