Many black people are asking themselves this question. What is it about melanated skin that is making black and brown skin a risk factor for getting the viral infection currently linked to the lockdowns! Listen to this! Melanin, the vital pigment found in all vertebrates, humans included is skin, hair, pupils/irises of eyes, inner ear, nipples and brain. Melanin has many protective functions: cutaneous melanin acts as a natural sunscreen without which the sun's UV rays can cause mutations in the DNA which can then lead to cancer. So, it protects us from the damaging solar UVA & UVB. Secondly, melanin is a potential candidate in melanoma (most aggressive skin cancer) treatment. Melanated, dark skin people have a lower rate of skin cancer due to the photo-protective quality of melanin (un-bleached black skin!). Another function of melanin - it acts as an antibiotic and free radical sink - natural helping agents in disease/infections. Now, in the UK, the department of health announced that this pigment melanin is a risk factor for getting Covid-19. They said if you are black you are at risk. What do you think?!