Adjusted rate ratios (95% confidence intervals) of receiving a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 by sociodemographic characteristics and wave of the pandemic
| Characteristic | Wave two (1 September 2020 to 22 May 2021) | Wave three (23 May to 10 December 2021) | ||||
| Model 1 | Model 2 | Model 3 | Model 1 | Model 2 | Model 3 | |
| Disability status | ||||||
| Not limited | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Limited a little | 1.03 (1.02 to 1.03) | 1.01 (1.00 to 1.01) | 0.92 (0.92 to 0.93) | 0.85 (0.85 to 0.86) | 0.85 (0.84 to 0.85) | 0.87 (0.86 to 0.87) |
| Limited a lot | 1.15 (1.15 to 1.16) | 1.10 (1.10 to 1.11) | 0.94 (0.93 to 0.94) | 0.74 (0.73 to 0.74) | 0.73 (0.72 to 0.73) | 0.77 (0.77 to 0.78) |
| Ethnic group | ||||||
| White British | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Bangladeshi | 2.03 (2.01 to 2.05) | 1.83 (1.81 to 1.84) | 1.75 (1.73 to 1.77) | 0.59 (0.58 to 0.60) | 0.65 (0.64 to 0.66) | 0.68 (0.67 to 0.68) |
| Black African | 1.15 (1.14 to 1.16) | 1.05 (1.04 to 1.06) | 1.05 (1.04 to 1.06) | 0.55 (0.54 to 0.55) | 0.61 (0.61 to 0.62) | 0.64 (0.64 to 0.65) |
| Black Caribbean | 1.11 (1.10 to 1.12) | 1.01 (1.00 to 1.02) | 0.97 (0.96 to 0.98) | 0.78 (0.77 to 0.79) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.89) | 0.91 (0.89 to 0.92) |
| Chinese | 0.54 (0.53 to 0.56) | 0.51 (0.50 to 0.52) | 0.55 (0.54 to 0.57) | 0.45 (0.44 to 0.46) | 0.47 (0.46 to 0.48) | 0.49 (0.48 to 0.50) |
| Indian | 1.59 (1.58 to 1.60) | 1.46 (1.45 to 1.47) | 1.50 (1.49 to 1.51) | 0.75 (0.74 to 0.75) | 0.80 (0.79 to 0.80) | 0.79 (0.78 to 0.80) |
| Mixed | 1.10 (1.09 to 1.11) | 1.04 (1.03 to 1.05) | 1.04 (1.04 to 1.05) | 0.85 (0.85 to 0.86) | 0.90 (0.90 to 0.91) | 0.92 (0.92 to 0.93) |
| Other | 1.41 (1.40 to 1.42) | 1.30 (1.29 to 1.31) | 1.31 (1.30 to 1.32) | 0.63 (0.62 to 0.63) | 0.69 (0.68 to 0.69) | 0.72 (0.71 to 0.72) |
| Pakistani | 2.01 (2.00 to 2.02) | 1.76 (1.75 to 1.77) | 1.69 (1.68 to 1.70) | 0.60 (0.60 to 0.61) | 0.61 (0.60 to 0.61) | 0.62 (0.61 to 0.62) |
| White other | 1.00 (1.00 to 1.01) | 0.97 (0.96 to 0.98) | 1.00 (1.00 to 1.01) | 0.73 (0.73 to 0.74) | 0.79 (0.79 to 0.80) | 0.83 (0.82 to 0.83) |
| Education level | ||||||
| No qualification | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Apprenticeship | 0.93 (0.92 to 0.94) | 0.98 (0.97 to 0.99) | 1.05 (1.04 to 1.06) | 1.29 (1.28 to 1.30) | 1.26 (1.25 to 1.27) | 1.17 (1.16 to 1.18) |
| Level 1 | 0.91 (0.91 to 0.92) | 0.95 (0.94 to 0.95) | 0.99 (0.99 to 1.00) | 1.15 (1.15 to 1.16) | 1.15 (1.15 to 1.16) | 1.10 (1.09 to 1.10) |
| Level 2 | 0.90 (0.90 to 0.90) | 0.94 (0.94 to 0.95) | 1.00 (1.00 to 1.01) | 1.19 (1.18 to 1.20) | 1.19 (1.18 to 1.19) | 1.11 (1.11 to 1.12) |
| Level 3 | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.88) | 0.92 (0.92 to 0.92) | 0.99 (0.98 to 0.99) | 1.22 (1.21 to 1.22) | 1.22 (1.21 to 1.22) | 1.14 (1.13 to 1.14) |
| Level 4 | 0.72 (0.72 to 0.73) | 0.76 (0.75 to 0.76) | 0.82 (0.82 to 0.82) | 1.17 (1.17 to 1.18) | 1.21 (1.20 to 1.21) | 1.14 (1.14 to 1.15) |
| Other | 1.02 (1.01 to 1.03) | 1.02 (1.01 to 1.02) | 1.02 (1.01 to 1.02) | 0.93 (0.92 to 0.93) | 0.98 (0.97 to 0.99) | 1.06 (1.05 to 1.06) |
| English indices of deprivation group (fifths) | ||||||
| 1 (most deprived) | 1.45 (1.45 to 1.46) | 1.27 (1.27 to 1.28) | 1.17 (1.16 to 1.17) | 0.88 (0.88 to 0.88) | 0.84 (0.83 to 0.84) | 0.93 (0.93 to 0.93) |
| 2 | 1.29 (1.28 to 1.29) | 1.21 (1.20 to 1.21) | 1.14 (1.13 to 1.14) | 0.90 (0.89 to 0.90) | 0.91 (0.91 to 0.91) | 0.96 (0.96 to 0.97) |
| 3 | 1.14 (1.13 to 1.14) | 1.13 (1.13 to 1.14) | 1.10 (1.09 to 1.10) | 0.93 (0.93 to 0.93) | 0.95 (0.94 to 0.95) | 0.98 (0.97 to 0.98) |
| 4 | 1.08 (1.08 to 1.09) | 1.09 (1.08 to 1.09) | 1.07 (1.06 to 1.07) | 0.97 (0.97 to 0.98) | 0.97 (0.97 to 0.98) | 0.99 (0.98 to 0.99) |
| 5 (least deprived) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Religious affiliation | ||||||
| Christian | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) | 1 (reference) |
| Buddhist | 0.81 (0.79 to 0.82) | 0.80 (0.78 to 0.82) | 0.84 (0.82 to 0.86) | 0.63 (0.62 to 0.65) | 0.68 (0.66 to 0.69) | 0.71 (0.69 to 0.72) |
| Hindu | 1.27 (1.26 to 1.29) | 1.20 (1.19 to 1.21) | 1.24 (1.23 to 1.26) | 0.76 (0.75 to 0.77) | 0.85 (0.84 to 0.86) | 0.85 (0.84 to 0.86) |
| Jewish | 1.07 (1.05 to 1.09) | 0.99 (0.98 to 1.01) | 1.04 (1.02 to 1.06) | 0.84 (0.83 to 0.86) | 0.97 (0.95 to 0.98) | 0.95 (0.93 to 0.96) |
| Muslim | 1.71 (1.71 to 1.72) | 1.55 (1.55 to 1.56) | 1.51 (1.50 to 1.51) | 0.60 (0.60 to 0.61) | 0.64 (0.64 to 0.65) | 0.67 (0.67 to 0.67) |
| Sikh | 1.76 (1.75 to 1.78) | 1.65 (1.63 to 1.66) | 1.64 (1.63 to 1.66) | 0.81 (0.80 to 0.82) | 0.86 (0.85 to 0.87) | 0.85 (0.84 to 0.86) |
| No religion | 0.85 (0.85 to 0.85) | 0.87 (0.87 to 0.87) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.88) | 0.96 (0.95 to 0.96) | 0.96 (0.95 to 0.96) | 0.97 (0.97 to 0.97) |
| Other religion | 0.79 (0.77 to 0.80) | 0.80 (0.79 to 0.82) | 0.81 (0.79 to 0.83) | 0.77 (0.76 to 0.79) | 0.80 (0.78 to 0.81) | 0.81 (0.79 to 0.82) |
| Not stated | 0.87 (0.87 to 0.88) | 0.88 (0.88 to 0.89) | 0.89 (0.88 to 0.89) | 0.87 (0.87 to 0.88) | 0.88 (0.88 to 0.89) | 0.89 (0.89 to 0.90) |
Model 1, adjusted for age and sex only; model 2, adjusted for age, sex, and geographical variables (region and rural-urban classification); model 3, adjusted for age, sex, geographical variables, sociodemographic characteristics (ethnicity, indices of deprivation as fifths, educational attainment, household tenure, and care home residence status), self-reported disability status, body mass index, and the number of pre-existing health conditions. Note that for religion the fully adjusted model (model 3) does not adjust for ethnicity.