Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections
Abstract Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected economically disadvantaged groups. This differential impact has numerous possible explanations, each with significantly different policy implications. We examine, for the first time in a low- or middle-income country, w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11706-7 |
| _version_ | 1818238680912887808 |
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| author | Rachid Laajaj Duncan Webb Danilo Aristizabal Eduardo Behrentz Raquel Bernal Giancarlo Buitrago Zulma Cucunubá Fernando de la Hoz Alejandro Gaviria Luis Jorge Hernández Camilo De Los Rios Andrea Ramírez Varela Silvia Restrepo Norbert Schady Martha Vives |
| author_facet | Rachid Laajaj Duncan Webb Danilo Aristizabal Eduardo Behrentz Raquel Bernal Giancarlo Buitrago Zulma Cucunubá Fernando de la Hoz Alejandro Gaviria Luis Jorge Hernández Camilo De Los Rios Andrea Ramírez Varela Silvia Restrepo Norbert Schady Martha Vives |
| author_sort | Rachid Laajaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected economically disadvantaged groups. This differential impact has numerous possible explanations, each with significantly different policy implications. We examine, for the first time in a low- or middle-income country, which mechanisms best explain the disproportionate impact of the virus on the poor. Combining an epidemiological model with rich data from Bogotá, Colombia, we show that total infections and inequalities in infections are largely driven by inequalities in the ability to work remotely and in within-home secondary attack rates. Inequalities in isolation behavior are less important but non-negligible, while access to testing and contract-tracing plays practically no role because it is too slow to contain the virus. Interventions that mitigate transmission are often more effective when targeted on socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:45:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ca4f02f30c64b40ad67986754c092d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:45:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ca4f02f30c64b40ad67986754c092d92022-12-22T00:24:08ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-05-0112111010.1038/s41598-022-11706-7Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infectionsRachid Laajaj0Duncan Webb1Danilo Aristizabal2Eduardo Behrentz3Raquel Bernal4Giancarlo Buitrago5Zulma Cucunubá6Fernando de la Hoz7Alejandro Gaviria8Luis Jorge Hernández9Camilo De Los Rios10Andrea Ramírez Varela11Silvia Restrepo12Norbert Schady13Martha Vives14Universidad de Los AndesParis School of EconomicsUniversidad de Los AndesUniversidad de Los AndesUniversidad de Los AndesUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaImperial College LondonUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaUniversidad de Los AndesUniversidad de Los AndesInter-American Development BankUniversidad de Los AndesUniversidad de Los AndesWorld BankUniversidad de Los AndesAbstract Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected economically disadvantaged groups. This differential impact has numerous possible explanations, each with significantly different policy implications. We examine, for the first time in a low- or middle-income country, which mechanisms best explain the disproportionate impact of the virus on the poor. Combining an epidemiological model with rich data from Bogotá, Colombia, we show that total infections and inequalities in infections are largely driven by inequalities in the ability to work remotely and in within-home secondary attack rates. Inequalities in isolation behavior are less important but non-negligible, while access to testing and contract-tracing plays practically no role because it is too slow to contain the virus. Interventions that mitigate transmission are often more effective when targeted on socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11706-7 |
| spellingShingle | Rachid Laajaj Duncan Webb Danilo Aristizabal Eduardo Behrentz Raquel Bernal Giancarlo Buitrago Zulma Cucunubá Fernando de la Hoz Alejandro Gaviria Luis Jorge Hernández Camilo De Los Rios Andrea Ramírez Varela Silvia Restrepo Norbert Schady Martha Vives Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections Scientific Reports |
| title | Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections |
| title_full | Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections |
| title_fullStr | Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections |
| title_short | Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in COVID-19 infections |
| title_sort | understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in covid 19 infections |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11706-7 |
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