In societies where the virus hits, it is deepening the consequences of inequality, pushing many of the burdens onto the losers of today’s polarized economies and labor markets. Research suggests that those in lower economic strata are likelier to catch the disease. They are also likelier to die from it... Two major risk factors are thought to make the coronavirus deadlier for those who catch it: old age and pre-existing health conditions... [A] body of research points to a third: low socioeconomic status.

... In China, many workers are employed informally and so cannot count on social services if they take time off... In Italy, some workers... have gone on strike over their employers’ failure to establish what they consider sufficient health protections as the epidemic spreads.

... When inequality is high, the cost of living tends to rise, forcing more lower-income families to live paycheck to paycheck. At the same time, the decline of labor unions and the rise of part-time work means that low-income workers have fewer protections... Unequal access to health care in any country makes getting sick especially expensive for the poor... Health experts fear that these costs will accelerate outbreaks.