Socioeconomic Disparities in Subway Use and COVID-19 Outcomes in New York City

Using data from New York City from January 2020 to April 2020, we found an estimated 28-day lag between the onset of reduced subway use and the end of the exponential growth period of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 within New York City boroughs. We also conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the associations between human mobility (i.e., subway ridership) on the week of April 11, 2020, sociodemographic factors, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) incidence as of April 26, 2020. Areas with lower median income, a greater percentage of individuals who identify as non-White and/or Hispanic/Latino, a greater percentage of essential workers, and a greater percentage of health-care essential workers had more mobility during the pandemic. When adjusted for the percentage of essential workers, these associations did not remain, suggesting essential work drives human movement in these areas. Increased mobility and all sociodemographic variables (except percentage of people older than 75 years old and percentage of health-care essential workers) were associated with a higher rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, when adjusted for testing effort. Our study demonstrates that the most socially disadvantaged not only are at an increased risk for COVID-19 infection, they lack the privilege to fully engage in social distancing interventions.

Automated summary

Based on data from New York City between January 2020 and April 2020, a 28-day lag was found between reduced subway use and the decline of COVID-19 growth. A cross-sectional analysis revealed that areas with lower income, higher percentage of non-White/Hispanic individuals, and more essential workers had increased mobility during the pandemic. It was also observed that socially disadvantaged groups were at higher risk for COVID-19 infection and faced challenges in fully engaging in social distancing measures.