Against a background of stalling UK life expectancy, the COVID-19 pandemic is a major crisis for public health with impacts differing markedly by ethnicity, gender, and age. Direct health impacts include mortality and long-term harms among survivors. Social disruption and lockdown measures arising from uncontrolled infection have destabilised healthcare and other essential services. The economic crisis resulting from the pandemic is already triggering job losses, which will in turn have their own adverse health effects. These myriad impacts of the pandemic are not affecting everyone equally. Ethnic minorities, men and older people have disproportionately suffered from COVID-19, including their risk of mortality. However, some indirect impacts - including those on mental health and employment - are more likely to affect women and younger people. The health consequences of the pandemic will affect the lives of people in the UK for decades.
Keywords: COVID-19; age; ethnicity; gender; healthcare inequalities.