We have recently completed an analysis examining household overcrowding and risk of COVID-19 which was reported this evening on Newsnight (Friday 5th March 2021).
You can watch a clip of the interview on YouTube here.
Key findings and interpretation of our analysis:
– Overcrowded households had twice the risk of PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 compared to under-occupied households.
– People in ‘balanced’ accommodation (where the number of rooms was equal to the number of people) also had an increased risk of PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 compared to under-occupied houses.
– Public health interventions to prevent and stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 need to consider the unequal burden of risk of being infected for people living in overcrowded households.
– Addressing England’s overcrowding challenge will likely require a significant increase in the supply of housing and investment in sustainable and high-quality housing will support health, jobs and the wider economic recovery.
You can read details of this analysis in a draft report here.