Equally Affected? Health-related and socio-economic burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vienna

Previous pandemics have rarely affected everyone equally and, so far, the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Emerging evidence has shown that incidence rate, hospitalisation rate and mortality due to COVID-19 are higher among people in lower socioeconomic position (SEP). In addition, first investigations indicate that not everyone is equally affected by this pandemic’s collateral public health damage. Using a stratified random sample of 1004 participants living in Vienna, a Central European city with approximately 1.9 Million inhabitants, this study analysed the distribution of 10 adverse health-related and socioeconomic outcomes attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic across socioeconomic strata. To this end, we estimated differences in the incidence rate of these outcomes by SEP and each of its indicators using zero-inflated Poisson and logistic regression models, adjusted for age and gender. Data were collected during first lockdown measures between April, 27th and May, 17th 2020. Differences in the incidence rate between the two lowest and two highest SEP groups were clearly visible. Participants in the lowest SEP category had a 32.96% higher incidence rate (IRR=1.333 [95%CI: 1.079 – 1.639]) and participants in the second lowest SEP category had a 44.69% higher incidence rate (IRR=1.447 [95%CI: 1.190 – 1.760]) compared to participants in the highest SEP category. In sum, 6 out of 10 adverse COVID-19-related outcomes were, to a greater or lesser extent, disproportionately experienced by Viennese residents in lower SEP. Inequalities were most visible between income groups and for the outcomes job loss, worsening of the financial situation, and worse mental health. These results strengthen and extend the current evidence on the unequally distributed burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of effect heterogeneity across SEP indicators, we encourage future investigators to pay increased attention to their operationalisation of SEP. Such awareness will help to correctly identify those in most urgent need of supportive polices