果冻影院

The 果冻影院 Virus Watch study began recruiting in June 2020 and now involves 45,861 people of all ages from 22,488 households across England and Wales. The team of researchers analysed self-reported data from participants provided from June 2020 to January 2021and also found that there was no difference in the likelihood of undertaking non-essential activities between听the least and most deprived areas.

Professor Robert Aldridge (果冻影院 Institute of Health Informatics), Co-Chief Investigator of the Virus Watch Health Equity Study, said: 鈥淗igher levels of Covid-19 disease and infection in poorer areas are connected to the social and economic circumstances that constrain people's options.听

鈥淧eople living in听the most deprived areas听are听less likely to be able to听work from home听and are more reliant on听public transport听which puts them at greater risk of exposure to Covid-19. This is likely to be driving the higher rates of Covid-19 in the most deprived areas of the country.听

鈥淭he threefold* difference in public transport use we鈥檝e seen in the second lockdown is particularly stark and likely reflects differences in car ownership. The increased number of visits to essential shops like grocery stores may reflect a diminished ability to buy in bulk or shop online due to less disposable weekly income.鈥�

Other key findings from this wave of data that were obtained between June 2020 and January 2021, include:

• The new Covid-19 variant of concern (B.1.1.7) does not appear to cause differences in symptoms to the original variant听
• Compared to adults, symptoms are a poor predictor of Covid-19 infection in children - who are less likely to develop cough, fever and loss of smell or taste

The researchers found that symptom profiles of Covid-19 were similar in hotspots where the new variant was common, as they were in areas where it was more uncommon.听The听findings show that most听symptomatic听adults听were likely to have one of the defined covid-19 symptoms when tested by听Test and Trace and that听this did not change听for听those with听the new variant.听

Professor Andrew Hayward (果冻影院 Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care) said: 鈥淥ur findings show Covid-19听is harder to spot in children as they are less likely to听have the Test and Trace defined symptoms听and it is harder to distinguish听the virus听from other illnesses in children than it is in adults on the basis of symptoms alone.

鈥淚n the first wave of the pandemic people living in the poorest areas were more than twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as people in the richest areas. Our data shows that during lockdown, people in听more deprived听areas were more likely to leave their household to travel to work in shared cars or on public transport than people in wealthier areas.听 If we want to bring down Covid-19 infection rates faster and reduce inequalities in deaths, we need to provide better financial support enabling people in lower income groups to stay at home during lockdowns and to self-isolate when ill or in contact with other cases.鈥澨�

*Between 24 November 2020 and 01 December 2020听researchers听found that compared to people in the least deprived areas of England and Wales, those living in the most deprived areas were 318% more likely to have used public transport.

Links

• 果冻影院 Institute of Health Informatics
• 果冻影院 Population Health Sciences

Image

• BUS (credit: Chris Guy , source:听)

Media Contact

Rowan Walker

Tel:听+44 (0)20 3108 8515

Email: rowan.walker [at] ucl.ac.uk