COVID-19 in working-class neighborhoods of two Argentine cities

Mastrangelo, Andrea; Hirsch, Silvia; Demonte, Flavia

doi:10.1590/1413-812320222711.04382022EN

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ARTICLE • Ciênc. saúde coletiva 27 (11) • Nov 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320222711.04382022EN copy

COVID-19 in working-class neighborhoods of two Argentine cities

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

This paper presents a synchronic analysis of the diseases during the emergence of COVID-19, the management and impact of the lockdown, and how the media narrated these events in working-class neighborhoods of the metropolitan areas of Buenos Aires and Gran Resistencia from March to November 2020. We resorted to quantitative methods on secondary sources to describe poverty and syndemics and conducted week-by-week ethnographic and media research on 38 neighborhoods with water shortages and critical overcrowding. As a result, COVID-19 syndemically emerged with dengue, measles, and tuberculosis, and the preventive measures exacerbated institutional and gender violence, the Werther effect, and the neglect of other illnesses. Ethnography revealed syndemics with noncommunicable diseases and the influence of structural violence on health. The media analysis shows interest in the districts associated with the fear of contagion, but they disappear from the media agenda once dispelled.

Key words:
Coronavirus infections; Anthropology; Social inequality; Media

Jurisdiction	Density inhabitants/ km²	Mean % UBN in districts of the sample	Mean incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants of COVID-19 in the jurisdiction
CABA	14450.8	9.9	528.2
AMBA	2694.8	9.3	159.9
AMGR	112.0	10.4	348.6

Bimester	Diagnostic and care interventions	Non-pharmaceutical interventions	Economic support measures
20/03/2020 to 20/05/2020	PEN Decree 260 and MINSAL Res. 568. GCABA LAW 6301 Health Emergency. Obligation to report the symptoms by app CUIDAR Single Certificate Enabling for Circulation (March).	Decree PEN 260 Health emergency. Closure of international borders (March).	Decree 310 Emergency Household Income (IFE, cash money to workers without registered income, including beneficiaries of Universal Allowance for Child and Pregnancy). Three payments between April and September.	Decree 332 Assistance to Work and Production (ATP). Payment of 50% of the salaries of companies that require them between March and December. Prohibition of dismissals and suspensions without cause.	Increase in the Food Card (existing since January), for beneficiaries of social plans to purchase groceries.	Temporary suspension of the cutoff of electricity and gas services due to non-payment. Distribution of bottled gas at a subsidized value (Home Program). Decree 320 Temporary freezing of rents and suspension of evictions until January 31, 2021.	MinHabitat Res 53 Creation of the Argentina Construye Solidaria Program: investment in housing deficits, health infrastructure and equipment for popular sectors (July).	Creation of the “The district cares for the district” Program, financing community promoters who provide specific support to risk groups and distribute safety and hygiene items (April).
20/03/2020 to 20/05/2020	MINSAL Res. 627 indications of isolation and social distancing (March).	PEN Decree 297 creates the ASPO. GCABA Decree 1. “People must refrain from going to their workplaces and may not travel on routes, roads and public spaces. (...) They may only make minimal and essential trips to stock up on cleaning supplies, medicines, and food.” The decrees determine essential services, whose providers can circulate with permission, entry, and circulation regulations within the city (March).
	GCABA Res. 831 hand washing, respiratory hygiene and masks for health personnel and people with symptoms (March).	CABA Decree 9, 10, Res.13, 14 withholding of driver's licenses to violators of the restrictions. Until May, the federal forces retained 4,264 vehicles without authorization to circulate. CABA Dec. 163 and Res. 115 only essential public transport with seated passengers.
	GCABA Res. 1,078 mandatory use of the homemade mask in the entire population (May).	PEN Decrees 351,355, 408, 459, 493, 520, 576, 605, 617, 641, 677, 714, 747, 754 and792 extend preventive and compulsory social distancing (ASPO)from March 19 to November 28.
	Creation of Emergency Fever Units (UFU) in 18 GCABA hospitals, separate from the medical guard. Posts for the transfer to UFUs: 7 in Ricciardelli and 224 and 1 in Fraga and Rodrigo Bueno (April).
	Dis. GCABA 98 Electronic forms to authorize cremations in the event of a health emergency (April).
	Start of DETECTAr MINSAL Strategic Testing Device for Coronavirus in the Territory of Argentina. In districts with positive and suspected community circulation and isolation. In Ricciardelli, Playón and 21-24 (May 5).
	GCABA Res. 1,227 establishes isolation criteria (May 13).
21/5/2020 to 20/7/2020	GCABA Action Protocol against the Spread of COVID19 in CABA Popular Districts (version 1, 6/6). 10 days of isolation outside the district for positives and suspected cases from popular districts. Telephone follow-up by Habitat or Health officials.
21/7/2020 to 20/9/2020	Law 6,322 support plan for patients in end-of-life situations during the COVID-19 emergency (September 8).
21/09/2020 to 28/11/2020	Action Protocol against the Spread of COVID-19 in CABA Popular Districts (version 2, 29/9)

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E-mail: cienciasaudecoletiva@fiocruz.br

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[1] Collaborations

A Mastrangelo designed and implemented the research funded as IP440 by A+D+i, wrote the paper. S Hirsch coordinated field teams and wrote the paper. F Demonte coordinated media monitoring and wrote the paper.