Bristol's map of covid-19 coronavirus infection rates pretty much mirrors the map of Bristol's levels of socio-economic deprivation.
Why?
A thread but first have a read of this & pls RT... https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/covid-case-rates-match-bristols-4958925

Firstly, there's been a fair bit of research (statistical mainly) which has looked at links between covid deaths & economic deprivation/poverty. Poor people, or people living in poor areas, are twice as likely to die from covid.
But that factors in existing health inequalities

Not much has been done (that I could find) about numbers of cases in the first place, and links to poverty.
If you know of or have seen proper statistical research into this, link me up.
So from here on in, this is me having a punt at trying to explain why this might be...

First off, what are we talking about here?
With a few exceptions, right now in Bristol, the higher rates of active covid cases are to be found in areas with underlying higher levels of economic deprivation - many above 400 or 500
Case rates in areas of low deprivation are 100-200

This, of course, is a snapshot of this week. But it does tell a story.
It's a story of how lockdown is different for different people.
If you're in a job where you have to still go to work - in care, building trade, factory worker, retail, etc then where's the lockdown?

Having to go to work also means your kids still go to school, thus mixing with multiple other 'family bubbles'.
A broad sweep generalisation, but schools are only shut for us white-collar, middle class professionals who can work from home, so are much less exposed to covid

People living in Bristol's more deprived areas are also more likely to be on zero hours contracts, in situations where staying at home isolating isn't an option, without better and easier to access financial help

And there's another sweeping generalisation one could throw out there - housing conditions. People are more likely to be living in bigger households, or in accommodation that shares communal spaces, like tower blocks and blocks of flats etc. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/i-feel-more-exposed-lockdown-4719757

Despite a more contagious strain of covid-19 in this second wave, lockdown rules are more lax this time.
Even early in the first wave, it was apparent a proper, meaningful lockdown only applied to the middle-classes....

I did this story in April 2020 about what how a lovely woman called Julie was supporting the rest of her street, who all had to carry on going out to work, being exposed to the virus. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/meet-amazing-dancing-julie-who-4033435

It's all very well for @MattHancock to tell everyone in Bristol to stay at home - he's right - but for many, many people that's not an option. https://twitter.com/TristanCorkPost/status/1356657407305342979?s=20

This connection between poverty and covid is, tbf, something that Bristol's city leaders have been aware of and prioritising. There have been huge efforts to make sure people are supported, fed & can stay home.

It's just that I've spent a lot of time studying those colour-coded deprivation maps (as well as reporting issues from Hartcliffe to Lockleaze, of course), & it's striking to see the same colour patterns on the map in terms of covid cases.