Aubert, Cécile, Dang, Hai-Anh H. and Nguyen, Manh-Hung (2022) The Unequal Impact of Covid-19: Health, Wealth and Behaviors by Income Groups. Revue Française d'Économie, XXXVII (N° 2). pp. 43-77.

Abstract

This article studies how wealth and health inequalities have interacted with the Covid-19 epidemic in a way that has reinforced inequalities in income, savings, epidemic risk and even individual preventive behaviors. We present in more detail two articles and their theoretical and empirical results. Recovery and contamination rates are functions of an individual’s health status and capacity to access quality healthcare. Poorer individuals, who face budget constraints, have a higher risk of loosing their income because of a contamination. Data on six countries confirm a disproportionate impact of the epidemic on the poorest 60% of the population.