Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic that the world is currently in, differences in the treatment of a person based on one’s country of origin are striking. Only 1.9% of people in low-income countries have received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 65.55% of people in high-income countries have received a dose of the vaccine \citep{OurWorldInData2021}. This shows that there are wide disparities in how COVID-19 are taken action by different countries.
However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, this inequality is already part of the different healthcare systems of the world. A study done on five European Union candidates show that the GDP per capita correlates positively with the life expectancy at birth, as the increase in the development of infrastructures leads to the longevity of life \citep{Miladinov2020}. This shows that the size of the economy of a country has an effect on the health of the general populace.
This research aims to address this health inequality by looking for a relationship between two economic metrics (Gross Domestic Product or GDP and Gross Domestic Product per Capita or GDP per Capita) and COVID-19 mortality rates. This will shed light on the economic inequalities that the healthcare systems of different countries experiences. Currently, there are no studies that have been done analyzing the effects of these two economic metrics and COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates. There is a study that has been done \citep*{Konig2021} that analyzed the effects of lockdowns caused by COVID-19 fatalities on GDP growth, however, the sample size is non-representative of the whole world, as the majority of the countries in the research’s sample are OECD countries. There is also a study done \citep*{Shahbazi2020} which correlates HDI (Human Development Index) and COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates. Since HDI has many factors in its calculation (i.e. life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and gross national income, the study focused on socio-economic inequalities, while this study focuses on economic differences solely. Because of this, the following research question will be addressed in this study:

Literature Review

The Relationship Between the Economy and Healthcare

The economy and the healthcare system affect each other in a multitude of ways. A study done has suggested that the healthcare budget should consider a patients’ needs and preferences when treating a disease \citep{Ottolini2016}. In addition, the healthcare system must use economics in order to evaluate its social equity. In a healthcare system, these analyses are important in order to maximize its efficiency while maintaining the pre-determined budget for it. 
There is also a relationship between infectious diseases, human capital, and economic growth. Researchers in a study had developed an endogenous growth model relating the causes of ill health to the extent of the infectious disease being studied \citep*{Goenka2020}. This in turn prevents people from working, which decreases human capital. The study also showed that forgotten diseases do not affect mortality in a significant manner, however, they mostly affect the poor, which makes it an indicator of poverty.
Lastly, there is a relationship between socioeconomic development and the life expectancy of a country. In a study done with European accession candidate countries \citep{Miladinov2020}, the income per capita of a country and the infant mortality rate have significant effects on the life expectancy at birth. The study found that there is an inverse relationship between a country’s population health and socioeconomic development with infant mortality, while there is a direct relationship between a country’s population health and socioeconomic development with life expectancy. However, it is notable that the sample is small, which makes it non-representative for all of the countries in the world.
These examples show that the economy and healthcare are interconnected and have a deep relationship because of the inherent demand for healthcare, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.