People in deprived areas are twice as likely to die from coronavirus, heartbreaking figures released today show - with a new map revealing where the death rates are highest.
Research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the rate of fatalities in poorer areas is double that of their more affluent counterparts.
Parts of London, the Midlands and the North East are among the areas with the highest Covid-19 mortality rates.
In the capital, where the disease spread fastest in the early days of the pandemic, four out of 10 deaths were linked to coronavirus between March 1 and April 17.
By comparison, the killer bug was mentioned on just 13% of death certificates in the South West.
A new interactive map (below) allows users to find out the number of deaths per 100,000 of the population.
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In London 85.7 deaths per 100,000 persons was linked to Covid-19.
Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester, as well as Hertsmere, Salford, Watford, Middlesbrough, Luton, Sandwell and Slough had rates above 65 deaths per 100,000 people.
In Wales there were 929 Covid-19 deaths during that period - 18% of all deaths.
Figures showed the number of deaths in deprived areas is 55.1 per 100,000 in England, compared to 25.3 in more affluent areas.
Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said: “People living in more deprived areas have experienced Covid-19 mortality rates more than double those living in less deprived areas.
"General mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas, but so far Covid-19 appears to be taking them higher still.”
In Wales, where levels of deprivation are measured differently to England, the ONS found that the most deprived fifth of areas had a Covid-19 mortality rate of 44.6 deaths per 100,000 population.
New research shows that Middlesbrough and Walsall have the highest rates of infection in the country - with Wolverhampton, Gateshead and St Helens also among the places where the disease has spread widely.
Figures released by the Centre for Progressive Policy this week show that of the 20 places with the highest infection rates, just one - Luton - is in the south.
Labour MP Conor McGinn, who represents St Helens in Merseyside, told Mirror Online that the area's industrial past has contributed to high rates of respiratory diseases, as it has an older population.
Mr McGinn said: "Added to ten years of austerity that has seen huge funding cuts to the council and NHS, it is understandable that places like ours will be badly affected by coronavirus."
When the crisis subsides, there is an urgent need to address the huge health gap across the country, Middlesbrough's MP said.
The figures show there are 350 cases per 100,000 of the population there, making it the most at-risk place for infections in England.
Labour's Andy McDonald, who has represented the Teesside town since 2012, told Mirror Online: “There appears to be a broad correlation between rates of Covid 19 and areas of multiple deprivation, with Middlesbrough currently within the ten areas for the highest number of confirmed cases.
"We do need to have a greater understanding of why that is."
