Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Regional Spread and Out-break of COVID-19 in China

Liren  Yang; Cuifang  Qi; Zixuan  Yang; Li  Shang; Guilan  Xie; Ruiqi  Wang; Landi  Sun; Mengmeng  Xu; Wenfang  Yang; Mei Chun  Chung

doi:10.18502/ijph.v50i7.6620

Liren Yang Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Cuifang Qi Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Zixuan Yang Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, P.R. China
Li Shang Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Guilan Xie Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Ruiqi Wang Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Landi Sun Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Mengmeng Xu Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Wenfang Yang Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal & Child Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, P.R. China
Mei Chun Chung Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Massachusetts Boston, United States of America

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i7.6620

Keywords: Socio-economic; COVID-19; Epidemic; Spread; Outbreak; China

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the impact of socio-economic factors on the spread and outbreak of COVID-19 based on Chinese data.

Methods: Cumulative confirmed cases were collected and divided into the First-stage cases cluster dominated by imported cases, and the Second-stage cases cluster dominated by secondary cases, according to the time of emergency state and Wuhan city lockdown. The linear regression was used for data analysis.

Results: A total of 12,877 cases in 30 provinces were analyzed in the study. The First-stage cases cluster included 675 cases and Second-stage cases cluster included 12,202 cases. The socio-economic factors were significantly associated with the cases (P<0.05). The GDP and proportion of population moving out of Wuhan were associate with the First-stage dominated by imported cases (b>0, P<0.05). The First-stage cases cluster, proportion of population moving out of Wuhan and urban population were associate with the Second-stage dominated by secondary cases (b>0, P<0.05).

Conclusion: Socio-economic factors had impacts on the spread and outbreak of COVID-19. The combination of different socio-economic indicators at different stages of the epidemic may help control the epidemic.