Geographical patterns of social cohesion drive disparities in early COVID infection hazard
Loring J. Thomas, Peng Huang, Fan Yin, Junlan Xu, Zack W. Almquist, John R. Hipp, Carter T. Butts
Abstract
The uneven spread of COVID-19 has resulted in disparate experiences for marginalized populations in urban centers. Using computational models, we examine the effects of local cohesion on COVID-19 spread in social contact networks for the city of San Francisco, finding that more early COVID-19 infections occur in areas with strong local cohesion. This spatially correlated process tends to affect Black and Hispanic communities more than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Local social cohesion thus acts as a potential source of hidden risk for COVID-19 infection.
Topics & Concepts
Cohesion (chemistry)Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)GeographyDemographySociologyBiologyVirologyMedicineOutbreakInfectious disease (medical specialty)DiseaseOrganic chemistryChemistryPathologyCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesUrban, Neighborhood, and Segregation StudiesCOVID-19 and Mental Health