COronavirus Vulnerabilities and INFOrmation dynamics Research and Modelling

Project Information

COVINFORM

Grant agreement ID: 101016247

DOI

10.3030/101016247

Project closed

EC signature date 30 October 2020

Start date 1 November 2020

End date 31 October 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being

Total cost

€ 4 941 656,25

EU contribution

€ 4 941 656,00

Coordinated by

SYNYO GmbH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - COVINFORM (COronavirus Vulnerabilities and INFOrmation dynamics Research and Modelling)

Reporting period: 2022-05-01 to 2023-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Policymakers and public health experts unanimously recognise the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on so-called vulnerable groups: even in countries with well-developed responses, the outbreak and its repercussions imperil the basic well-being of social groups whose livelihoods are already precarious. COVINFORM draws upon intersectionality theory and complex systems analysis in an interdisciplinary critique of COVID-19 responses on the levels of government, public health, community, and information and communication and its impact on vulnerable residents in 10 countries. Additionally, the experiences of vulnerable groups during COVID-19 in specific settings are evaluated through case studies.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The COVINFORM project assesses COVID-19 responses through a holistic lens and develops a risk assessment framework as well as guidelines for stakeholders in the governmental, public health, and civil society/community domains. The project analyses COVID-19 measures on the level of government, public health, community, and information and communication and their positive and (unintended) negative impacts on the overall population as well as on vulnerable residents. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, the project identifies promising practices and lessons learned in the COVID-19 pandemic management within these four levels across 15 EU countries including U.K. and Israel. Through 10 case studies, COVINFORM explores specific experiences of vulnerable groups. These case studies are complemented by interviews with women of low socio economic background in the 10 case study countries. Combining a Complex Adaptive System and intersectional approach, a cross-country analysis of these 10 case studies is conducted. Further, risk assessment tools to map the response, impact and consideration of vulnerability in each case study location are developed. The aim is to produce transferable knowledge and develop guidelines as well as recommendations that are of use to various stakeholders during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as potential future pandemics.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

COVINFORM applies and tests innovative and creative theories and methods. On the level of theory, the consortium’s overall approach innovatively synthesises cutting edge perspectives in quantitative social science (complex systems analysis) and humanistic and qualitative social science (intersectionality theory). A key output of the project is a risk assessment model and repository. COVINFORM will build risk assessment models, with both qualitative and quantitative data, that describes and evaluates the response and impact of COVID-19, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups, at different administrative levels across the EU27 MS and the UK (national, regional, and local).

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