Various studies over the past year have examined our adherence to the Covid control measures introduced by governments to stymie the spread of the virus.  The latest of these comes via Johns Hopkins University, with the research finding that our income correlates strongly with our likelihood of adherence to social distancing.

The authors suggest that the higher our income, the more likely we are to socially distance and wear a mask.  Indeed, those earning around $230,000 a year are 54% more likely to engage in these behaviors than those earning $13,000.

“We need to understand these differences because we can wring our hands, and we can blame and shame, but in a way it doesn’t matter,” the researchers say. “Policymakers just need to recognize who is going to socially distance, for how long, why and under what circumstances to give us accurate predictions of how the disease will spread and help us establish policies that will be useful.”

Doing the right thing

The researchers conducted a 1,000 person survey across Flordia, Texas, New York, and California to understand how people’s behaviors had changed as Covid cases spiked during April 2020.  Each participant submitted identifying information, including their gender, race, and income, as well as their work arrangements, housing quality, and their behaviors during the pandemic.

The researchers found that while most people changed their behaviors in some way in an attempt to stay safe, the higher earners modified their behaviors the most.  Indeed, the highest earners were 13% more likely to change their behaviors, 32% more likely to social distance, and 30% more likely to wear masks and increase handwashing.

Suffice to say, the researchers accept that it may well be much easier for people with money to take these additional safety measures.  For instance, they were far more likely to be able to work from home, with this a huge factor in their ability to social distance, as those able to do so were 24% more likely to stay away from others than those who still had to go into a workplace.

“The whole messaging of this pandemic is you’re stuck at home teleworking, that must be really tough so here are some recipes for sourdough starter, and here’s what you should catch up on Netflix,” the researchers say. “But what about the people who aren’t teleworking? What are they going to do?”

Financial pressure

Perhaps unsurprisingly, those with lower incomes faced a higher probability of job losses or depleted income as a result of the pandemic, with remote work also less likely.  What’s more, they also were more likely to live in places with limited access to outdoor spaces, which also played a big role in their ability to social distance.  The data suggests those with access to gardens at home were 20% more likely to social distance.

All of this ensures that those earning the least have the hardest time actually keeping safe during the pandemic, which is highly likely to have extended the duration of the pandemic itself.

“It’s not shocking that if you don’t live in a comfortable house you’re going to be leaving your house more often. But the point we want to push is that if I’m a policy maker maybe I really need to think about opening city parks in a dense neighborhood during a pandemic. Maybe that’s something that’s worth the risk. This is why we want to understand these details – they can eventually suggest policies,” the researchers say.