Socio-environmental analysis: investigation of basic sanitation and its relationship with the incidence of COVID-19 in Paraíba

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of basic sanitation for public health and quality of life. Measures such as washing your hands, showering every time you go outside and maintaining constant hygiene have become essential to contain the virus. However, more than half of the world's population, including the state of Paraíba, does not have adequate access to sanitation. Thus, the aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between the increase in COVID-19 cases and the socioeconomic and basic sanitation situation in the 223 municipalities of the state of Paraíba, with the intention of better targeting public policies and municipal planning. The methodology involved statistical analysis using cluster techniques (Simple Linkage, Complete Linkage, K-means) and Spearman correlation, applied via RStudio software. Sanitation, socio-economic and virus incidence data were analyzed. The data used to measure the results were basic sanitation, socioeconomic and virus incidence data. It was found that the 223 municipalities analyzed have precarious access to basic sanitation services. According to the statistical analyses carried out, it was not possible to verify a correlation between access to basic sanitation and COVID-19. However, the incidence was higher where GDP and per capita income were higher, showing a possible relationship between the higher concentration of cases where urban agglomerations and commerce are higher. The data obtained shows significant economic fragility, highlighting the importance of public policies to improve socio-economic and health conditions. Such investments can provide better living conditions for the entire population and thus ensure a more effective response to future health crises.