Abstract
ObjectiveTo determine the association between income inequality and COVID-19 cases and deaths per million in OECD countries.MethodsCross-sectional regression methods are used to model the relationship between income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, and COVID-19 reported cases and deaths per-million.ResultsThe results demonstrate a significant positive association between income inequality and COVID-19 cases and death per million in all estimated models. A 1% increase in the Gini coefficient is associated with an approximately 4% increase in cases per-million and an approximately 5% increase in deaths per-million.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that countries with high levels of income inequality have performed significantly worse when dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak in terms cases and deaths. Income inequality is a proxy for many elements of socioeconomic disadvantage that may contribute to the spread of, and deaths from, COVID-19. These include poor housing, smoking, obesity and pollution.Policy ImplicationsThe findings suggest the importance of closing the gap in income inequality and improving the health and incomes of the poorest andmost vulnerable groups.
Highlights
As OECD countries lift their lockdowns, emerging from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an excellent time to consider factors that may have affected COVID-19 outcomes before the advent of any secondary spikes
It is notable that the estimated coefficients attached to the Gini coefficient are all positive and significant. These results suggest a clear association between income inequality and COVID-19 cases and deaths
The results demonstrate a strong association between income inequality and the number of COVID-19 deaths
Summary
As OECD countries lift their lockdowns, emerging from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an excellent time to consider factors that may have affected COVID-19 outcomes before the advent of any secondary spikes. This paper is the first to investigate whether income inequality has played a role in explaining the differences in COVID-19 outcomes across countries. The immediate response to the pandemic has, quite correctly, focused on the biological and medical factors relating to COVID-19, it is important to remember that disease outcomes are related to socioeconomics factors. Already the role of inequality has been considered within individual countries regarding the impact of COVID-19, with van Dorn et al (2020) noting that it is a pandemic falling on the most vulnerable people in the US [3]
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