Does place matter? An examination of geographical inequalities in COVID-19 in England

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the perception was that 'we are all in this together' and that the virus 'does not discriminate'. However, government data has since highlighted that deaths from COVID-19 are almost double in poorer communities and higher in places with larger black, Asian and minority ethnic populations. This has led to concerns that not everyone is experiencing COVID-19 in the same way. But we do not know enough about why or how this might change over time. In this project, a team from Newcastle University will use several sources of data to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has developed over time in different types of places and communities. The project team will use information on virus cases and deaths in each area to understand how these are impacted by living and working conditions, housing, employment and access to services and leisure facilities, for example. This work will help to uncover how and why some communities are affected more than others by COVID-19, and to identify which ones are more at risk from future waves and other pandemics. This will also help staff in public health, social care and the NHS provide better support to high-risk communities. The results of this work will be published on a website that will use maps to show differences in the pandemic across the country. The results of the research will help with local NHS and public health planning, as well as in policy development, media and parliamentary debates.