@article{ref1,
title="Scaling COVID-19 against inequalities: Should the policy response consistently match the mortality challenge",
journal="Journal of epidemiology and community health",
year="2021",
author="McCartney, G. and Leyland, A. and Walsh, D. and Ruth, D.",
volume="75",
number="4",
pages="315-320",
abstract="Background The mortality impact of COVID-19 has thus far been described in terms of crude death counts. We aimed to calibrate the scale of the modelled mortality impact of COVID-19 using age-standardised mortality rates and life expectancy contribution against other, socially determined, causes of death in order to inform governments and the public. <br><br>METHODS We compared mortality attributable to suicide, drug poisoning and socioeconomic inequality with estimates of mortality from an infectious disease model of COVID-19. We calculated age-standardised mortality rates and life expectancy contributions for the UK and its constituent nations. <br><br>RESULTS Mortality from a fully unmitigated COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to be responsible for a negative life expectancy contribution of -5.96 years for the UK. This is reduced to -0.33 years in the fully mitigated scenario. The equivalent annual life expectancy contributions of suicide, drug poisoning and socioeconomic inequality-related deaths are -0.25, -0.20 and -3.51 years, respectively. The negative impact of fully unmitigated COVID-19 on life expectancy is therefore equivalent to 24 years of suicide deaths, 30 years of drug poisoning deaths and 1.7 years of inequality-related deaths for the UK. <br><br>CONCLUSION Fully mitigating COVID-19 is estimated to prevent a loss of 5.63 years of life expectancy for the UK. Over 10 years, there is a greater negative life expectancy contribution from inequality than around six unmitigated COVID-19 pandemics. To achieve long-term population health improvements it is therefore important to take this opportunity to introduce post-pandemic economic policies to € build back better'. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0143-005X",
doi="10.1136/jech-2020-214373",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-214373"
}