Socio-spatial inequality and the impact of Covid-19 on the population of Rio de Janeiro: analyses and reflections

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COV-2) is a disease caused by the new coronavirus, whose dissemination across the world has caused the Covid-19 pandemic. This article is based on the spatialization of governmental data about the city of Rio de Janeiro, combined with interviews and other types of information. It starts from a theoretical perspective that considers the action of different agents in the contribution of socio-spatial processes. The writing of the article was grounded in the bulletin “Mapa Social do Corona” (Social Map of the Coronavirus), issued by Observatório de Favelas between June and August 2020 with the collaboration of an interdisciplinary team, in partnership with different institutions and professionals. It shows that socio-spatial inequality has contributed to a higher lethality rate in low-income neighborhoods.