Study shows that São Paulo City has eight distinct urban groups in economic, social and cultural terms, making effective action against the pandemic a challenge.
Only 13.8% of the workforce has jobs in sectors not badly hit by social isolation according to a research network set up to propose ways of improving the quality of government policies for dealing with the crisis.
Some 300,000 older people live alone in São Paulo City, and more than 8,000 say they have no one to turn to for help. A study supported by FAPESP describe their vulnerability in the ongoing public health crisis.
Research by the FAPESP-funded Center for Metropolitan Studies (CEM) shows that it is not feasible to separate high-risk groups in low-income communities, where the majority of the Brazilian population live. The problem is especially acute in the Southeast region, with metropolitan São Paulo displaying the largest deficit.