Coronavirus infections and deaths by poverty status: The effects of social distancing

Juergen Jung, James Manley and Vinish Shrestha

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2021, vol. 182, issue C, 311-330

Abstract: We study the spread of COVID-19 infections and deaths by county poverty level in the US. In the beginning of the pandemic, counties with either very low poverty levels or very high poverty levels reported the highest numbers of cases. A U-shaped relationship prevails for counties with high population density while among counties with low population density, only poorer counties report high incidence rates of COVID-19. Second, we discuss the pattern of infections spreading from higher to lower income counties. Third, we show that stay-at-home mandates caused significantly higher reductions in mobility in high income counties that experienced adverse weather shocks than counties that did not. These effects are not present in counties with high poverty rates. Using weather shocks in combination with stay-at-home mandates as an instrument for social distancing, we find that measures taken to promote social distancing helped curb infections in high income counties but not in low income counties. These results have important policy implications for containing the spread of infectious diseases in the future.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Heterogeneous health effects; Infections by poverty status; Death rates by poverty status (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I18 I32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:182:y:2021:i:c:p:311-330

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2020.12.019

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