Study shows correlation between socioeconomic status and levels of self-isolation in Istanbul

Duvar English

A study carried out by analyzing smartphone data showed a significant correlation between the socioeconomic status of the people in Istanbul and their levels of self-isolation.

Veloxity analyzed smartphone roaming data of one million people in Istanbul to determine the districts that apply self-isolation the most, technology news website Webtekno reported on March 25.

As part of the study, roaming data of the smartphones was analyzed for seven days starting from March 17 and a map was formed based on the data.

Veloxity said that the districts that stayed at home due to the coronavirus outbreak the most were Kadıköy, Ataşehir, Çamlıca, Fatih, Ataköy, Bakırköy, Florya, Etiler and Şişli - districts with higher socioeconomic status.

In contrast, the districts that the highest movement was observed in the aforementioned time period were Esenyurt, Bağcılar, Sancaktepe, Sultanbeyli, Pendik and Beykoz - districts with lower socioeconomic status.

More people in Turkey worried about unemployment than about coronavirus pandemic

Turkey reported its first coronavirus case on March 11 and authorities have been calling on people to refrain from going outside to curb the spread of the virus.

While a curfew is in place for those above the age of 65 and with chronic diseases, a nationwide curfew wasn't declared, resulting in people working in various sectors to still commute to their workplaces as opposed to the majority of the white-collar workers who have been working from home since the beginning of the outbreak.