On the Role of Financial Support Programs in Mitigating the Sars-CoV-2 Spread in Brazil

We calculate the impact of a socioeconomic program during 2020 as a measure to mitigate the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Brazil. For each Brazilian State, we estimate the time-dependent reproduction number from daily reports of COVID-19 infections and deaths using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered-like (SEIR-like) model. Then, we analyse the correlations between the reproduction number, the amount of individuals receiving governmental aid, and the index of social isolation based on mobile phone information. We conclude that socioeconomic programs had a significant impact on reducing the accumulated numbers of infections and deaths by allowing those in need to stay at home, adhering to social isolation.