Socioeconomic disparities in long COVID diagnosis among ethnic minorities in Denmark

Abstract

Background

Low socioeconomic status has been demonstrated as a risk factor for COVID-19 severity and mortality. However, whether socioeconomic disparities also influence the risk of long COVID diagnosis among ethnic minorities compared to the native majority population remains unclear.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study in Denmark, including individuals with a first-time COVID-19 diagnosis between January 2020 and August 2022. The risk of long COVID diagnosis among ethnic groups (defined by country of birth) was compared according to socioeconomic status.

Results

Among 2 287 175 COVID-19 cases, 4579 were diagnosed with long COVID. The risk of long COVID diagnosis did not significantly differ by income or educational attainment for most ethnic groups. However, among low-income individuals, migrants had a higher risk of long COVID than native Danes, particularly Eastern Europeans (HR_adjusted 1.45, 95 % CI [1.25,1.70], p < 0.001), Southeast Asians (HR_adjusted 2.08, 95 % CI [1.32,3.28], p = 0.002), Middle Easterners (HR_adjusted 1.65, 95 % CI [1.31,2.07], p < 0.001), and North Africans (HR_adjusted 1.68, 95 % CI [1.24,2.27], p < 0.001). Additionally, migrant workers (Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian) in occupational sectors such as “economy, business, and administration”, “operator, driver and transportation service”, “sales and customer service”, “general office and secretarial service” and “education” had a higher long COVID risk than native Danish workers in the same workplaces.

Implications

These findings highlight the need to address ethnic disparities in long COVID, particularly among migrants with low income. Workplace interventions and policies targeting work-related vulnerabilities could help reduce the disproportionate burden of long COVID among migrant workers.