Social Network Analysis on the Mobility of Three Vulnerable Population Subgroups: Domestic Workers, Flight Crews, and Sailors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hong Kong

Abstract

Background: Domestic workers, flight crews, and sailors are three vulnerable population subgroups who were required to travel due to occupational demand in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the social networks among three vulnerable population subgroups and capture temporal changes in their probability of being exposed to SARS-CoV-2 via mobility. Methods: We included 652 COVID-19 cases and utilized Exponential Random Graph Models to build six social networks: one for the cross-sectional cohort, and five for the temporal wave cohorts, respectively. Vertices were the three vulnerable population subgroups. Edges were shared scenarios where vertices were exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Results: The probability of being exposed to a COVID-19 case in Hong Kong among the three vulnerable population subgroups increased from 3.38% in early 2020 to 5.78% in early 2022. While domestic workers were less mobile intercontinentally compared to flight crews and sailors, domestic workers were 1.81-times in general more likely to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: Vulnerable populations with similar ages and occupations, especially younger domestic workers and flight crew members, were more likely to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Social network analysis can be used to provide critical information on the health risks of infectious diseases to vulnerable populations.

Influence of the Demographic, Social, and Environmental Factors on the COVID-19 Pandemic—Analysis of the Local Variations Using Geographically Weighted Regression

“…Employment has a significant impact on mental health, especially in the context of a global pandemic. The workplace is therefore an important target at which efforts should be directed to manage the mental health issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic [46][47][48]. The COVID-19 pandemic has unmasked the problems related to uncertainty about the economic and employment aspects; this is critical for policy design and financial strategy and planning [49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56].…”