Excess mortality among essential workers in England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

Melissa Matz; Claudia Allemani; Martie van Tongeren; Vahé Nafilyan; Sarah Rhodes; Karin van Veldhoven; Lucy Pembrey; Michel P Coleman; Neil Pearce; Helen Kreissl

doi:10.1136/jech-2022-218786

Excess mortality among essential workers in England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

Melissa Matz, Claudia Allemani, Martie van Tongeren, Vahé Nafilyan, Sarah Rhodes, Karin van Veldhoven, Lucy Pembrey, Michel P Coleman, Neil Pearce, Helen Kreissl

Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care (L5)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background Exposure to SARS-CoV-2, subsequent development of COVID-19 and death from COVID-19 may vary by occupation, and the risks may be higher for those categorised as 'essential workers'. Methods We estimated excess mortality by occupational group and sex separately for each month in 2020 and for the entire 12 months overall. Results Mortality for all adults of working age was similar to the annual average over the previous 5 years. Monthly excess mortality peaked in April, when the number of deaths was 54.2% higher than expected and was lowest in December when deaths were 30.0% lower than expected. Essential workers had consistently higher excess mortality than other groups throughout 2020. There were also large differences in excess mortality between the categories of essential workers, with healthcare workers having the highest excess mortality and social care and education workers having the lowest. Excess mortality also varied widely between men and women, even within the same occupational group. Generally, excess mortality was higher in men.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	660-666
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Volume	76
Issue number	7
Early online date	25 Apr 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2022-218786
Publication status	Published - 9 Jun 2022

Keywords

COVID-19
MORTALITY
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Thomas Ashton Institute

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1136/jech-2022-218786

University of Manchester researchers’ collaboration with the Partnership for Research in Occupational, Transport and Environmental COVID Transmission (PROTECT) project informs policy and practice aimed to reduce risk from Covid-19 transmission
Van Tongeren, M. (Corresponding participant), Rhodes, S. (Participant), Wilkinson, J. (Participant), Gittins, M. (Participant), Coleman, A. (Participant), Gartland, N. (Participant), Johnson, S. (Participant), Arden Armitage, C. (Participant), Lewis, C. (Participant), Clayson, A. (Participant), Verma, A. (Participant), Bourne, N. (Participant), Cheung, C. (Participant), Clarke, S. (Participant), Kirkham, R. (Participant) & Yunusa-Kaltungo, A. (Participant)
Impact: Health and wellbeing, Policy, Awareness and understanding

Cite this

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title = "Excess mortality among essential workers in England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic",

abstract = "Background Exposure to SARS-CoV-2, subsequent development of COVID-19 and death from COVID-19 may vary by occupation, and the risks may be higher for those categorised as 'essential workers'. Methods We estimated excess mortality by occupational group and sex separately for each month in 2020 and for the entire 12 months overall. Results Mortality for all adults of working age was similar to the annual average over the previous 5 years. Monthly excess mortality peaked in April, when the number of deaths was 54.2\% higher than expected and was lowest in December when deaths were 30.0\% lower than expected. Essential workers had consistently higher excess mortality than other groups throughout 2020. There were also large differences in excess mortality between the categories of essential workers, with healthcare workers having the highest excess mortality and social care and education workers having the lowest. Excess mortality also varied widely between men and women, even within the same occupational group. Generally, excess mortality was higher in men.",

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author = "Melissa Matz and Claudia Allemani and \{van Tongeren\}, Martie and Vah{\'e} Nafilyan and Sarah Rhodes and \{van Veldhoven\}, Karin and Lucy Pembrey and Coleman, \{Michel P\} and Neil Pearce and Helen Kreissl",

note = "Funding Information: Funding This work was supported by funding through the National Core Study {\textquoteright}PROTECT{\textquoteright} programme, managed by the Health and Safety Executive on behalf of HM Government, and a grant from the Colt Foundation (CF/05/20). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.",

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AU - Matz, Melissa

AU - Allemani, Claudia

AU - van Tongeren, Martie

AU - Nafilyan, Vahé

AU - Rhodes, Sarah

AU - van Veldhoven, Karin

AU - Pembrey, Lucy

AU - Coleman, Michel P

AU - Pearce, Neil

AU - Kreissl, Helen

N1 - Funding Information: Funding This work was supported by funding through the National Core Study ’PROTECT’ programme, managed by the Health and Safety Executive on behalf of HM Government, and a grant from the Colt Foundation (CF/05/20). Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

PY - 2022/6/9

Y1 - 2022/6/9

N2 - Background Exposure to SARS-CoV-2, subsequent development of COVID-19 and death from COVID-19 may vary by occupation, and the risks may be higher for those categorised as 'essential workers'. Methods We estimated excess mortality by occupational group and sex separately for each month in 2020 and for the entire 12 months overall. Results Mortality for all adults of working age was similar to the annual average over the previous 5 years. Monthly excess mortality peaked in April, when the number of deaths was 54.2% higher than expected and was lowest in December when deaths were 30.0% lower than expected. Essential workers had consistently higher excess mortality than other groups throughout 2020. There were also large differences in excess mortality between the categories of essential workers, with healthcare workers having the highest excess mortality and social care and education workers having the lowest. Excess mortality also varied widely between men and women, even within the same occupational group. Generally, excess mortality was higher in men.

AB - Background Exposure to SARS-CoV-2, subsequent development of COVID-19 and death from COVID-19 may vary by occupation, and the risks may be higher for those categorised as 'essential workers'. Methods We estimated excess mortality by occupational group and sex separately for each month in 2020 and for the entire 12 months overall. Results Mortality for all adults of working age was similar to the annual average over the previous 5 years. Monthly excess mortality peaked in April, when the number of deaths was 54.2% higher than expected and was lowest in December when deaths were 30.0% lower than expected. Essential workers had consistently higher excess mortality than other groups throughout 2020. There were also large differences in excess mortality between the categories of essential workers, with healthcare workers having the highest excess mortality and social care and education workers having the lowest. Excess mortality also varied widely between men and women, even within the same occupational group. Generally, excess mortality was higher in men.

KW - COVID-19

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Excess mortality among essential workers in England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Keywords

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Impacts

University of Manchester researchers’ collaboration with the Partnership for Research in Occupational, Transport and Environmental COVID Transmission (PROTECT) project informs policy and practice aimed to reduce risk from Covid-19 transmission

Cite this