Arts and Social Sciences Journal

Socio-Economic Implications of COVID-19 Infections for the USA and India

Abstract

Saagar S Kulkarni*, Rohan S Kulkarni and Kathryn E Lorenz

As of August 2021 with over 1.6 M combined deaths, USA, India, and Brazil had the highest number of COVID-19 infections. This paper examines the populations of the USA and India, with a combined 70 M infections and counting, to provide a comprehensive overview and explore the social implications of COVID-19. For the US, our multivariable regression model was statistically significant between COVID-19 deaths and age/race/residence-states. The trends in age and residence states were significant while the trend for gender was not. However, individual’s age and residence state played a significant role in determining life or death? Socio-economic analysis confirmed the Qualitative socio-economic Logic based Cascade Hypotheses (QLCH) of education/occupation/income affecting race/ethnicity differently. For a given race/ethnicity, education drives occupation then income, where people lives, and in turn his/her access to healthcare coverage. Considering the QLCH framework, different races are poised for differing effects of COVID-19; specifically, Asians/Whites are in a stronger position to combat COVID-19 compared to Hispanics/Blacks. For India, the residence-states were found to be statistically significant in a regression of nationality/residence states/and counts for total cases/deaths/and cured. A logistics regression model analyzing age/gender/nationality/and residence states was also statistically significant. Both sexes were affected equally by the virus while age/residence states played important roles in life/death. Higher urban populated states with higher GDP creation had the highest virus related deaths, explaining the forced avoidance of social distancing effect.