Socio-economic Vulnerabilities to COVID-19 in India: Swimming against the Tide

Abstract

COVID-19 poses an unforeseen challenge to the world. The virus is testing the capacity of public health systems globally and their ability to respond effectively. India is no exception. The country has already witnessed more than 35,000 confirmed positive cases by the end of April 2020, and the number is fast rising despite strict measures by the government. The virus has reached every state and union territory of the country. In the absence of a drug or a vaccine, the only measure available to fight this deadly novel pathogen is to adopt changes in behaviors and lifestyle -physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and proper respiratory etiquette. The government has imposed lockdown to maintain social distance since 24 th March 2020, but it cannot continue for long due to the immense loss of economy and livelihood. The country needs to learn to co-exist with the virus and embrace the prescribed measure of physical distancing, and handwashing even after the government lifts the lockdown. The paper uses the data from the most recent Indian version of DHS, known as National Family Health Survey-4, to examine the feasibility of the adoption of these new norms and their impact on a densely populated country like India, where there are nearly half of the households (49%) with three or more people sleeping in a room, 35% going out to fetch water for daily usage, and 38% have no toilet facility within their household premises. The study uses multivariate analysis, Wagstaff's Concentration Index, and decomposition analysis to find out the extent of vulnerability across different socio-economic strata of the Indian population in adopting these safety measures to fend themselves from the corona infection.