The unequal distribution of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

The unequal distribution of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic The corona pandemic, both the virus itself and the many restrictive government measures to prevent the spread of the virus, had major consequences for Dutch society: not only overcrowded hospitals and many deaths, but also social disruption due to the closure of schools, shops and companies and the call to work from home and avoid social contacts. All this had major consequences for Dutch people: people were afraid of losing work and income, became lonely and suffered from anxiety and depressive feelings. We investigate whether these negative consequences of the pandemic are unevenly distributed in society. In particular, we examine whether traditionally vulnerable groups (such as the less educated, the elderly and people with poor health) and new vulnerable groups (such as the self-employed) have been hit harder than others. We use data from five large-scale surveys conducted during the pandemic (between April 2020 and September 2021). In total, almost 100 thousand people answered our questions. Central themes in our research are: the dramatic loss of trust in government, which started during the pandemic and is still ongoing, the mental consequences of the pandemic, whether there was an accumulation of negative consequences of the pandemic among certain social groups , and so forth.