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A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums

Publication ,  Journal Article
Downs-Tepper, H; Krishna, A; Rains, E
Published in: Environment and Urbanization
April 1, 2022

Taking advantage of our existing dataset of 6,721 slum households in two Indian cities, we undertook six rounds of follow-up phone interviews on the impact of COVID-19 between July and November 2020 with three key informants in each of 40 diverse slums. These cities showed contrasting health effects resulting from the first major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic – no deaths and nearly no illnesses were reported in Patna, while there was widespread low-intensity sickness and a cluster of deaths in Bengaluru. We found no clear pattern in the links between outbreaks and city or neighbourhood characteristics. Livelihood effects, however, were devastating across both cities. All but a few slum dwellers lost their jobs for several months and survived by cutting back on essentials, incurring loans, liquidating assets, and seeking help from neighbours. Government assistance, generous in the early part of the lockdown, dwindled rapidly. Many will likely become chronically poor.

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Published In

Environment and Urbanization

DOI

EISSN

1746-0301

ISSN

0956-2478

Publication Date

April 1, 2022

Volume

34

Issue

1

Start / End Page

190 / 208

Related Subject Headings

  • Urban & Regional Planning
  • 4404 Development studies
  • 3304 Urban and regional planning
  • 1205 Urban and Regional Planning
  • 0502 Environmental Science and Management
 

Citation

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Downs-Tepper, H., Krishna, A., & Rains, E. (2022). A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums. Environment and Urbanization, 34(1), 190–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/09562478211048778
Downs-Tepper, H., A. Krishna, and E. Rains. “A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums.” Environment and Urbanization 34, no. 1 (April 1, 2022): 190–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/09562478211048778.
Downs-Tepper H, Krishna A, Rains E. A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums. Environment and Urbanization. 2022 Apr 1;34(1):190–208.
Downs-Tepper, H., et al. “A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums.” Environment and Urbanization, vol. 34, no. 1, Apr. 2022, pp. 190–208. Scopus, doi:10.1177/09562478211048778.
Downs-Tepper H, Krishna A, Rains E. A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums. Environment and Urbanization. 2022 Apr 1;34(1):190–208.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environment and Urbanization

DOI

EISSN

1746-0301

ISSN

0956-2478

Publication Date

April 1, 2022

Volume

34

Issue

1

Start / End Page

190 / 208

Related Subject Headings

  • Urban & Regional Planning
  • 4404 Development studies
  • 3304 Urban and regional planning
  • 1205 Urban and Regional Planning
  • 0502 Environmental Science and Management