Covid: Poor Rural Areas and Men were Hit Hardest in Ireland

Share

Covid: Researchers at University College Cork and Technological University Dublin have developed the first socio-economic picture of the impact of the pandemic in Ireland.

Rural dwellers in Ireland and those living in public housing, were among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents in those areas across Ireland experiencing higher rates of hospitalisations.

Covid and Ireland

The study examined the age, gender, regional socio-economic status, and at the urban/rural divide. Close to 50,000 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland’s first two waves of the pandemic were analysed. This created the first socio-economic picture of who, and where in Ireland were the most impacted during the pandemic.

Urban-Rural Impact

The pioneering analysis shows that from a socio-geographic/economic perspective, patients living in rural areas and in regions characterised by higher rates of local authority (i.e., publicly-supported) housing were also at increased risk of hospitalisation.

Residents in rural areas was associated with a higher likelihood of hospitalisation. But the opposite was true for admission to ICU. Urban dwellers were approximately 1.5 times more likely to require critical care.

This may be because of higher population densities in city areas, higher deprivation, and worse air quality.

Covid: The pandemic had different results on different demographics, So how did different groups fare in Ireland? Here's the scoop.

Difference between men and women

Both men and women in Ireland were impacted by COVID-19. But men are approximately 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalised, admitted to ICU, or die, than women.

There’s a few gender-specific lifestyle factors that can explain this. Men and women have different health behaviours, psychological stress, and socioeconomic conditions. Plus, there’s several sex-specific biological mechanisms modulating the course of disease, including hormone-regulated gene expression, innate and adaptive immune responses, and immune-aging.

Covid: The pandemic had different results on different demographics, So how did different groups fare in Ireland? Here's the scoop.

Also, there is strong evidence to suggest that upon infection, females may be better equipped to initially respond, and reduce viral invasion and pathogenicity compared to males.

Covid: The pandemic had different results on different demographics, So how did different groups fare in Ireland? Here's the scoop.

The study was funded by Science Foundation Ireland, and the researchers highlight how the findings will help provide robust evidence for development of increasingly targeted public-health recommendations.

The study was devised to help recognise and prioritise high-risk cases in the short term, and perhaps more importantly, help with future public health emergency planning.

Like articles about rural Ireland? Then check this out. 

 

About Author

Top