Association between community-based self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and social deprivation explored using symptom tracker apps: a repeated cross-sectional study in Northern Ireland.
Jennifer M McKinleyDavid CuttingNeil AndersonConor GrahamBrian JohnstonUte MuellerPeter M AtkinsonHugo Cornelis van WoerdenDeclan T BradleyFrank KeePublished in: BMJ open (2021)
Through spatial regression of self-reporting COVID-19 smartphone data in the community, this research shows how a lens of social deprivation can deepen our understanding of COVID-19 transmission and prevention. Our findings indicate that social inequality, as measured by area-level deprivation, is associated with disparities in potential COVID-19 infection, with higher prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 symptoms in urban areas associated with area-level social deprivation, housing density and age.