Understanding how socioeconomic inequalities drive inequalities in SARS-CoV-2 infections

Rachid Laajaj, Duncan Webb (), Danilo Aristizabal (), Eduardo Behrentz (), Raquel Bernal (), Giancarlo Buitrago (), Zulma Cucunubá () and Fernando de la Hoz ()

No 19241, Documentos CEDE from Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE

Abstract: Across the world, the SARS-CoV-2 (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 inability 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. Interventions that mitigate transmission are often more effective when targeted on socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

Keywords: COVID-19; inequality; infections; socioeconomic strata (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I15 I18 O54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 56
Date: 2021-05-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:col:000089:019241

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