Socioeconomic impact in the united states during the flu season

THE SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS AND THE IMPACT IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE FLU SEASON (2009-2010).

LOS FACTORES SOCIOECONÓMICOS Y SU IMPACTO EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DURANTE LA TEMPORADA DE GRIPE (2009-2010).

Andrea Estefanía Uzca Balladares^[1]

ABSTRACT: The flu season that hit the United States in the 2009-2010 period caused unrecoverable losses in the nation's socioeconomic area. One of the problems brought about by this pandemic was the fall in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which caused significant changes in society. The purpose of this scientific article is to discover what socioeconomic factors intervened in the United States economy. The methodology used was to search for factors such as education, race, illnesses, income, and the GDP of the United States during the period 2009-10. A comparison was made with the data obtained to recognize the relationship that these factors had with the situation in the United States in that period. Based on the results that were thrown, we concluded that socioeconomic factors were crucial for observing the impact of the influenza in the nation. It is considered to make an analysis of the economic situation of families in the United States by states regarding their race, education, income, and how they were affected by influenza.

KEYWORDS: INFLUENZA*, UNITED STATES*, SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS*,

JEL CLASSIFICATION: I12, P36, H51

RESUMEN:  La temporada de gripe que golpeó a Estados Unidos en el periodo de 2009-2010 causó pérdidas irrecuperables en el área socioeconómica de la nación. Uno de los problemas que trajo consigo esta pandemia fue la caída del PIB (Producto Interno Bruto) lo que ocasionó grandes cambios en la sociedad. El propósito de este artículo científico es el de descubrir que factores socioeconómicos intervinieron en la economía de Estados Unidos. La metodología que se usó fue la de buscar factores como la educación, raza, enfermedades, ingresos y el PIB de Estados Unidos durante el periodo de 2009-10. Se procedió a hacer una comparación con los datos obtenidos para reconocer la relación que tenían estos factores con la situación de Estados Unidos en ese periodo. En base a los resultados que fueron arrojados, llegamos a la conclusión de que los factores socioeconómicos fueron claves para observar el impacto de la influenza en la nación. Se considera hacer un análisis de la situación económica de las familias en los Estados Unidos por estados con respecto a su raza, educación, ingresos y cómo estas fueron afectadas por la influenza.

PALABRAS CLAVE: INFLUENZA*, ESTADOS UNIDOS*, FACTORES SOCIOECONÓMICOS*.

CLASIFICACIÓN JEL: I12, P36, H51

INTRODUCTION

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death (CDC, 2019).  During the 2009--10 influenza season, the second wave of influenza activity from 2009 pandemic influenza (H1N1)pdm09 occurred in the United States; few seasonal influenza viruses were detected (CDC, 2019). The (H1N1) pdm09 virus differed considerably from the H1N1 viruses circulating at the time of the pandemic. The weight and scope of the burden of influenza varies with the age and underlying health of the patient. The disease imposes a significant burden on all individuals, but hospitalization and treatment occur more frequently in high-risk patients (the elderly and those with certain underlying medical conditions); patient populations that are increasing in size. Few young people had any degree of existing immunity (as detected by the antibody response) to the (H1N1) pdm09 virus, but about a third of people over the age of 60 had antibodies to this virus, likely due to exposure to an H1N1 virus at some previous time in their lives(CDC, 2010).

 The response to the outbreak of H1N1 swine flu in 2009-2010 exemplifies problems of disease management but also highlights the nature of contemporary public health: an endeavor primarily geared toward protecting the current political economy of the developed world and promoting middle-class moral propriety (Alcabes, 2010).

This virus contained a unique combination of influenza virus genes that had never before been identified in humans or animals. Preliminary figures from the WHO in 2009 indicated that the deaths from this virus reached 18,641, however, the exact number is unknown and it is feared that it will be up to 10 times higher(Guardia, 2020) People around the world have been concerned about pandemics of late. The noisy response to the epidemic of 2009, the H1N1 swine flu, made sure of that. Society certainly made too much of swine flu (many have blamed the media for that) (Brownstein, 2009).

 Epidemics have had a fundamental impact on the very long-term economic trajectory of societies, logically almost always for the worse (Laborda Pemán, 2020). Influenza also results in a substantial economic burden, due to both medical care costs and productivity loss (Noelle-Angelique M.Molinari, 2007). Firstly, it is expensive to establish virus containment plans and care for the infected population. So when there is a case of contagion in a country, economic imbalances arise both from the effects of containment plans and from the fear of contagion (Guardia, 2020). Some have opined that; Increased transmission of the virus can weaken consumer demand and harm tourism, commerce and the service sector in affected countries (Sheth, 2020). The pandemic of the H1N1 affect more than 200 countries around 2009 and 2010.

 The main economic imbalances in the countries arise from the new needs of the health systems, possible closings of companies, shops, and educational centers. In general, there is a significant reduction in the productivity of a country or region. The economic consequences are not the same for all countries, as some have better health systems and more or less robust economies.

 Economic losses in 2009 are estimated to have ranged from 0.5% to 1.5% of GDP in affected countries. (Guardia, 2020). The worldwide cost of 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) disease was $ 50 billion (Learnbonds; CapitalEconomics, 2020).

The presence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity and health behaviors such as smoking and accessing health care, are known to be influenced by the social determinants of health. The social determinants of health are social and economic conditions, such as income, education, employment, and social support, that influence the health of individuals and communities (Lowcock, Elizabeth: Rosella, Laura and; Crowcroft, 2012).

It is widely recognized that individuals at the lower end of the SES gradient experience poorer health and a reduced life expectancy compared with more advantaged groups(McIntosh CN, Finès P, Wilkins R, 2009). In addition to individual characteristics, contextual socioeconomic factors, such as neighborhood conditions, influence health outcomes.

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