In its research, CBS looked at the first corona year, from March 2020 to March 2021. In that period, almost 28,000 people died from Covid-19.
It is striking that the risk of dying from corona among people from the lowest income group who did not receive home care or who were in a nursing home was 2.5 times higher than among people from the highest income group without such care.
According to the CBS researchers, the effect of a low income on mortality can be largely explained by lifestyle, such as smoking, diet and overweight.
background stress
“People with a low education and income level are more exposed to background stress,” says health economist Jochen Mierau. “Then it turns out that unhealthy food is the cheapest way for them to get the necessary calories.” Mierau gives an example: “A few bags of crisps and a bottle of Coke are the simplest. As a result of the stress, they are more focused on the short term. Who cares if you die earlier from smoking too much, if you’re not even sure if you can pay your rent next week? Those concerns encourage addictive behavior.”
He therefore believes that our country should do even more to make healthy food cheaper, so that people are more resilient to new waves. In addition, it is important that the cabinet clearly states an objective and makes real policy based on it. CBS spokesperson Ruben van Gaalen also thinks that prevention is important. He also indicates that vaccination is the fastest intervention against corona.
People from that group also usually live in tighter quarters and it may be that they work more often in sectors where it is not possible to work from home or to properly comply with the corona advice at work. “Think of professions such as construction worker and cleaner,” says Mierau.
The study also shows that the risk of death in that period was significantly higher among people with a migration background. Particularly among people with a Moroccan, Turkish and Surinamese migration background, the risk was 1.6 to 1.8 times higher than for people with a Dutch background. For example, corona accounted for a quarter of all deaths among Moroccans as the cause of death, while that share was 15 percent among people with a Dutch background.
Vulnerability
According to Van Gaalen, access to healthcare can play a role in this, although this has not been tested. “That knife cuts both ways, for example people do not know how to find their way to health care and on the other hand information may not reach them. This can lead to vulnerability.”
The study also shows that the mortality risk was higher in large cities. Over the year, 17 percent of deaths in the big four cities were due to corona, compared to 15 percent outside. This is partly due to the higher population density and generally lower incomes, the researchers say.