@TNLComFund
Earlier this week Public Health England published a much awaited COVID-19: review of disparities in risks and outcomes report. A link to the full report can be found here .
Does the report tell us what many already knew? Probably. Could the report have gone further? Probably. If anything, the report highlights the existing fault lines of inequality already present in society.
I have highlighted the main ‘headlines’ from the report. Much further detail can be found in the report itself.
- Gender & Age.
Working age males twice as likely to die as females. Those over 80 years old 70 times more likely to die as under 40’s.
- Geography.
Local authorities with the highest diagnoses rates of COVID-19 are mostly urban. Highest diagnoses and death rates London, NW & NE England, and W Midlands.
- Deprivation.
Poor outcomes from COVID-19 in most deprived areas.
- Ethnicity.
Black ethnic groups most likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Death rates highest among people of Black & Asian groups.
- Street homeless.
54 men & 13 women diagnosed.
- Care homes.
Between 20th March –7th May 2-3 times deaths than expected.
The Care Quality Commission also published this week the following:
- Learning Disabilities.
CQC reported between 10th April-15th May deaths =365 compared to 165 same time last year.
The burden of COVID-19 appears to be falling heaviest on some of the most vulnerable in our society as well as those that we know already experience multiple inequalities.
It is also important to note that for young people who, it is clear, are least impacted by the virus itself will probably be facing some of the most serious consequences of the virus in wider society.
As has been widely stated over recent months “We may be in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat”.