Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods: The case of Accra and Johannesburg.

ABSTRACT: Without a vaccine, practicing social distancing and protective hygiene are the most effective measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to understand how the urban poor mitigate their risk of infection, we conducted a survey with more than 1,400 poor households in two of the African cities with the most COVID-19 infections, Accra and Greater Johannesburg, early in the pandemic, during lockdowns of public life. We find that many of the urban poor already engage in the appropriate hygienic behavior and follow social distancing rules. However, despite citywide lockdowns, about 25-40% of people still report attending large gatherings, 10-20% report receiving guests at home, and 30-35% report leaving the house more than once per week. Lack of cooperation with governmental regulations se

SUBMITTER: Durizzo K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7455159 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature