We often hear it said that "in the face of Covid we are all the same", that the virus is a great social level. But is not so. Indeed, the opposite is true: this pandemic "has affected differently depending on socio-economic conditions and could have long-term effects on the level of inequality". This is what we read in the latest economic analysis of research center Ref, which identifies among the reasons why Covid is widening social inequalities.
1) The relationship between wealth and health
According to Ref Ricerche, the first correlation to highlight is that between economic conditions and health: "Those who are in a situation of deprivation - reads the study - tend to have worse health conditions, for example because they make less use of prevention and often suffer from chronic diseases at an earlier age than the average, or because he carries out activities that expose him to physical effort and in poor environmental conditions". All of this obviously has consequences on the risks associated with the coronavirus, because "more precarious health conditions make it more dangerous to contract Covid-19".
2) Less skilled workers are more exposed
As regards the risk of contracting the disease, during lockdowns or periods of activity restriction, the most exposed workers are those employed "in sectors deemed essential, which therefore do not close - continues the analysis - In many cases these are sectors where tasks cannot be performed remotely and where occupations are low-skilled (with the notable exception of healthcare).” On the contrary, the jobs that can be done in smart working "are more frequently carried out by people with higher qualifications and levels of education".
3) With the lockdowns, savings increase
Finally, on the financial side, the restrictions produce a contraction in consumption and therefore an increase in savingsbut they are not the same for everyone. “It is probable that high-income families – underlines Ref Ricerche – are also those that increased their savings rate the most during the crisis, thus accumulating wealth”. In the first half of 2020 alone, "household savings increased by as much as 42 billion euros, an accumulation that reflects asymmetric situations between those who kept their incomes substantially unchanged, and therefore increased their wealth, and those who instead suffered the consequences of the crisis more immediately, and they had to use their savings to meet the costs”.
“Surgery will be needed”
In short, "the Covid-19 crisis is undermining the foundations of social cohesion, widening the audience of people in conditions of hardship", conclude the analysts, noting that "the widening of social distances will require a new strengthening of the to protect the weakest". At the moment, in fact, “even in the presence of ample resources put in place through social safety nets, the coverage is not extended to everyone and, above all, it is not permanent. Many households are vulnerable, especially when affected by job losses. In the future, it will be necessary to make room for surgical interventions to concentrate resources on those who are really left behind".
