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Regional poverty and infection disease: early exploratory evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Abu Bakkar Siddique

    (George Mason University)

  • Kingsley E. Haynes

    (George Mason University)

  • Rajendra Kulkarni

    (George Mason University)

  • Meng-Hao Li

    (George Mason University)

Abstract

This paper examines the role of regional poverty on the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. It also explores how the effects differ with the concentration of ethnic minorities. We find that poverty is a significant and consistent determinant of higher COVID-19 infections and fatalities. Prevalent poverty areas experienced higher infections due to economic structure that require hypermobility (high mobility and interpersonal interaction)—more physical human to human contact resulting in higher deaths from limited access to health services. These are also regions where minority groups are concentrated. Disproportionate infections and fatalities occurred within the black, Hispanic, and Asian population. Our evidence is robust to state fixed effects that capture local COVID-19 mitigation policies, multi-level hierarchical modeling, spatial autoregressive assessment, and large sets of county-level health, social, and economic factors. This paper contributes to the literature on health and economic disparities and their resulting consequences for infectious diseases.

Suggested Citation

  • Abu Bakkar Siddique & Kingsley E. Haynes & Rajendra Kulkarni & Meng-Hao Li, 2023. "Regional poverty and infection disease: early exploratory evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(1), pages 209-236, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:anresc:v:70:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s00168-022-01109-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s00168-022-01109-x
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models

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