The social costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic have been somewhat relegated in the face of the enormous health and economic costs imposed on society.  A recent paper from the British Academy attempts to redress that balance, and presents a stark warning as to the challenge ahead of us.

The report argues that society will be feeling the impact of Covid for the next decade unless policymakers overhaul public policy.  The authors argue that significant intervention will be required to avoid declining outcomes in terms of health, economics, and health.

“The evidence provides us with a vital insight into the immense social impact of COVID-19 and the substantial challenges we must address in the coming decade,” they say.  “There are multiple forms of inequality that create personal and societal obstacles to progress. Finding ways to create greater inclusiveness, tackle underlying mechanisms of inequality, and create the resourcefulness to share a better future will be our biggest challenge during this ‘COVID decade’.”

Interconnected issues

The report outlines a number of interconnected trends.  For instance, across the UK there is a general lack of trust in government, which is undermining its ability to mobilize public behavior.  This is also contributing to widening geographic inequalities in areas such as health and poverty.

This is often compounded by the severe strains placed on the local support infrastructure, which has grown in importance during the pandemic but struggled to find the capacity to cope.  With existing socioeconomic inequality exacerbated by the pandemic, this support is going to become more and more important.

“The COVID decade will also be profoundly shaped by policy decisions, and this offers us many opportunities,” the authors continue. “Government will need to establish a longer-term vision to tackle the impacts of COVID-19. This will involve working in partnership with places and people to address structural problems systematically, not just in a piecemeal way.”

Policy response

The authors highlight a number of possible policy responses that they believe would help to address the issues identified in the paper, including:

• Resolving tensions between the roles of local and central governance to improve local-level resilience and the response to local needs across the country;
• Strengthening and expanding the community-led social infrastructure that underpins services and support networks, particularly in deprived areas;
• Improving the flow of knowledge, data and information between all levels of government, different government departments, and between state and non-state decision-makers, making use of specific local and community knowledge;
• Eliminating the digital divide by treating digital infrastructure as a critical, life-changing public service;
• Empowering businesses and civic, educational and social institutions to act with a shared sense of social purpose.

“A year from the start of the first lockdown, we all want this to be over,” the authors conclude. “However, in truth, we are at the beginning of a COVID decade. Policymakers must look beyond the immediate health crisis to repair the profound social damage wrought by the pandemic.”