Social Capital in the Response to COVID-19

• Published in: American journal of health promotion Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 942 - 944
• Main Authors: Pitas, Nicholas, Ehmer, Colin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2020; American Journal of Health Promotion
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; Communicable Disease Control - methods; Community; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Health Policy; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Morbidity; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2; Social Capital; Social Environment; Social Networking; Social networks; United States - epidemiology; United States; social support; COVID-19; settings; supportive; health policy; health disparities; strategies; environments; opportunity; culture change; community; specific
• ISSN: 0890-1171; 2168-6602
• DOI: 10.1177/0890117120924531

Social capital provides a number of benefits during crisis scenarios, and high social capital communities respond more efficaciously than those with low social capital. With this in mind, we argue that the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic may be hampered in many American communities by deficiencies or disruptions in social capital brought about by physical distancing. Drawing on evidence from past crises, we recommend individuals, communities, and government institutions work to strengthen and expand social networks. A failure to do so will exact a toll in terms of human morbidity and mortality and exacerbate the current disaster.