Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on inequalities in different ways across the life course, from pregnancy and maternity through to old age.

Access to pregnancy and maternity services and support reduced significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to mental strain and social isolation. Women had to attend maternity appointments alone and partners had to leave after the birth of the child. This guidance did change in December 2020, to allow for one person to accompany the mother to all appointments. The national lockdown periods also reduced the practical and emotional support new parents could receive from their family and friends. In addition, Mother and Baby Groups, where many new parents can receive peer support and build relationships, were unable to take place physically.

Children and young people have been disproportionately impacted in terms of education and social interaction. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was already a significant gap in educational attainment between children living in deprived areas and their peers within North Tyneside. Many children experienced digital exclusion and were unable to access remote learning as families did not have laptops or internet access. The disruption to school-based learning during the pandemic is thought to have further widened that gap.

In North Tyneside, there has been a significant increase in the volume of contacts and referrals to Children’s Social Care have increased, as has the number of Children in Need and the number of children on Child Protection Plans.

Young working age adults (aged 16-24 years) in North Tyneside have experienced a significant rise in unemployment, as well as being more likely to be in an employment that has been furloughed. Working class females are more likely to have been furloughed than males, whilst home schooling and caring roles have also had a disproportionate effect on working females.

The risk of mortality has been higher among certain job types, specifically jobs in process plants and caring and personal services. People with Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds are also disproportionately more likely to have died from the virus; working in jobs with a high exposure risk and higher use of public transport is thought to have contributed to this. Nationally, there are 3.2 million workers in high-risk roles (e.g. health and social care, education, childcare, etc.) and 78% are female, increasing the risk of exposure to the virus and mental stress.

Older people have suffered more in terms of mortality risk, especially care home residents. Nationally, over-75-year-olds account for three-quarters (74%) of COVID-19 registered deaths. Social isolation and loneliness have further increased amongst older people as a result of national lockdown periods and reduced social interaction.