Covid pandemic ‘has shone light on inequalities’, says researcher

SOCIAL DIVIDES over health and economic inequalities have been highlighted due to coronavirus, a leading researcher in Yorkshire has said, amid calls for tailored support if the nation is to heal.

The first cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in York on January 31, 2020, and the pandemic has seen harrowing reports of loss and bereavement, with the economy plunged into chaos despite some early signs of recovery.

Psychologist Dr Jilly GibsonMiller, from the University of Sheffield, is among experts on the Covid-19 Psychological Research Consortium Study who have been studying the impact.

What has become apparent, Dr Gibson-Miller said, is that divisions that existed prior to the outbreak have only been highlighted, from ability to socially distance – with often the lowest-paid workers being the ones unable to work from home – to mandates over vaccines for care workers.

She said: “The pandemic has definitely presented a microcosm of what was already there. It’s shone a light on inequalities that do have an impact on health disproportionately across the social gradient. Those people who were already doing worse have been disproportionately affected.”

Some 89,176 Covid cases were reported yesterday with a further 277 deaths, the latest daily figures show, bringing the total number of deaths to 155,317. More than 37m people have received booster jabs, with 52,956 on Thursday.

Despite the scale of challenge, Dr Gibson-Miller added, findings also show the breadth and scale of human resilience, which must be acknowledged.

She said: “People have come together as communities and really stepped up, changed behaviours, urgently and quickly. It’s hard but we have done it, and we are better as a society for that. The wider aspect, because at the end of the day we are still in it, is we are still seeing these economic, social and health inequalities impact and we will for quite some time.

“We know that some people have suffered. We need to put support in place that is tailored and targeted to those that need it most, to build a society that is more equal and fair.”