A recent study conducted by the Universities of Southampton and Oxford reveals a strong correlation between the incidence of long COVID and the level of area-specific deprivation. It found that individuals from the most deprived regions are 46 percent more likely to experience long COVID compared to those from less deprived areas.
This research, which was published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, assessed more than 200,000 adults of working age. It marks the first attempt to quantify the link between long COVID and socioeconomic status across various occupational sectors.
Analyzing data from the Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey, the researchers found that females had a higher risk of long COVID, with the risk of long COVID in females in the least deprived areas comparable to that in males in the most deprived areas.
Lead researcher Dr. Nazrul Islam, of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton and Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, said: “Although certain occupational groups, especially frontline and essential workers, have been unequally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, studies on long COVID and occupation are sparse.
“Our findings are consistent with pre-pandemic research on other health conditions, suggesting that workers with lower socioeconomic status have poorer health outcomes and higher premature mortality than those with higher socioeconomic position but a similar occupation. However, the socioeconomic inequality may vary considerably by occupation groups.”
According to the researchers, the study indicates the need for a diverse range of public health interventions after recovery from COVID-19 across multiple intersecting social dimensions. Future health policy recommendations, they say, should incorporate the multiple dimensions of inequality, such as sex, deprivation, and occupation when considering the treatment and management of long COVID.
Dr. Islam added: “The inequalities shown in this study show that such an approach can provide more precise identification of risks and be relevant to other diseases and beyond the pandemic.
“These findings will help inform health policy in identifying the most vulnerable sub-groups of populations so that more focused efforts are given, and proportional allocation of resources are implemented, to facilitate the reduction of health inequalities.”

News
3D Eye Scans Emerge as a Crucial Tool in Combating Kidney Disease
A new study indicates that 3D retinal scans could revolutionize the early detection and monitoring of kidney disease, offering a non-invasive and efficient diagnostic tool. 3D eye scans can reveal vital clues about kidney [...]
Researchers develop a blood test to identify individuals at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
Research carried out at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences has led to the development of a new blood-based test to identify the pathology that triggers Parkinson's disease before the main symptoms occur. This [...]
“Challenging the Paradigm” – Scientists Develop New Approach To Stop Cancer Growth
Biochemists at Case Western Reserve are concentrating on the degradation of a key protein that drives cancer; represents a major shift in research. Biochemical researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a a new function [...]
Researcher develops a chatbot with an expertise in nanomaterials
A researcher has just finished writing a scientific paper. She knows her work could benefit from another perspective. Did she overlook something? Or perhaps there's an application of her research she hadn't thought of. [...]
Research shows human behavior guided by fast changes in dopamine levels
What happens in the human brain when we learn from positive and negative experiences? To help answer that question and better understand decision-making and human behavior, scientists are studying dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter [...]
Tiny robots made from human cells heal damaged tissue
The ‘anthrobots’ were able to repair a scratch in a layer of neurons in the lab. Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells that are able to repair damaged neural tissue1. The [...]
Antimicrobial Resistance – A Global Concern
Key facts Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to [...]
Advancing Pancreatic Cancer Treatment with Nanoparticle-Based Chemotherapy
Pancreatic cancer, a particularly lethal form of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world, often remains undiagnosed until its advanced stages due to a lack of early symptoms. [...]
The ‘jigglings and wigglings of atoms’ reveal key aspects of COVID-19 virulence evolution
Richard Feynman famously stated, "Everything that living things do can be understood in terms of the jigglings and wigglings of atoms." This week, Nature Nanotechnology features a study that sheds new light on the evolution of the coronavirus [...]
AI system self-organizes to develop features of brains of complex organisms
Cambridge scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system—in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints—allows it to develop features [...]
How Blind People Recognize Faces via Sound
Summary: A new study reveals that people who are blind can recognize faces using auditory patterns processed by the fusiform face area, a brain region crucial for face processing in sighted individuals. The study employed [...]
Treating tumors with engineered dendritic cells
Cancer biologists at EPFL, UNIGE, and the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg) have developed a novel immunotherapy that does not require knowledge of a tumor's antigenic makeup. The new results may pave the way [...]
Networking nano-biosensors for wireless communication in the blood
Biological computing machines, such as micro and nano-implants that can collect important information inside the human body, are transforming medicine. Yet, networking them for communication has proven challenging. Now, a global team, including EPFL [...]
Popular Hospital Disinfectant Ineffective Against Common Superbug
Research conducted during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week examines the effects of employing suggested chlorine-based chemicals to combat Clostridioides difficile, the leading cause of antibiotic-related illness in healthcare environments worldwide. A recent study reveals that a [...]
Subjectivity and the Evolution of AI Philosophy
An Historical Overview of the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence by Anton Vokrug Many famous people in the philosophy of technology have tried to comprehend the essence of technology and link it to society and human [...]
How Lockdowns Shaped the Virus: AI Uncovers COVID-19’s Evolutionary Secrets
A new research study shows that human behavior, like lockdowns, influences the evolution of COVID-19, leading to strains that are more transmissible earlier in their lifecycle. Using artificial intelligence technology and mathematical modeling, a research [...]