This finding by UK researchers is unsurprising in hindsight, although this does not diminish its significance. The Guardian newspaper led with the news on March 9 2022, although we link to the full MEDRXIV report below. Now we know personal wealth and chances of COVID have a reciprocal relationship, where do we go from here?
The Relationship is a Reciprocal Two-Way Street
Prof Adrian Martineau, who led the study is a professor of respiratory infection and immunity at Queen Mary University London. He and his team found lack of personal wealth not only affects chances of catching COVID. But catching COVID also increases people’s risk of economic hardship.
‘We’ve shown that COVID has an impact on people’s ability to meet basic household requirements’ the prof told the Guardian reporter. ‘And this is only going to be exacerbated by the cost of living crisis which is happening at the same time.
‘Many long-haulers have lost their jobs,’ reports Louise Barnes, founder of the PACS19 support group. ‘Whilst many spouses have been able to get personal independence payments, some have not. They are also no longer being supported by their employers. Therefore they are facing a financial nightmare and need financial support.’
Chances of COVID and Loss of Personal Wealth Coinciding
Prof Martineau and his colleagues accessed records of 16,910 Britons aged 16 years or over. They completed monthly questionnaires about their health and household income between May 2020 and October 2021.
The data suggested testing positive for Covid associated with a 39% likelihood of inadequate income to meet basic needs. There was also a five-times-greater chance of long-term-sickness absence from work.
Anne Williamson is a health economist at Blizard Institute who led the research. She remarks ‘The vicious cycle of poor health and poverty that we identify should lead policymakers to consider early, decisive interventions. They need to break this downward spiral, including economic support and healthcare follow-up.’
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