Second round of Coronavirus IDB-Cornell Survey and Panel Data: 2020

The second round of the IDB/Cornell Coronavirus Survey is a follow-up to the first round of the IDB/Cornell Coronavirus Survey, which collected information related to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on labor markets, food security, social distancing, and knowledge about the symptoms and forms of contagion of the Coronavirus. The main objective of the second round was to follow up with households participating in the first round, collecting more detailed information on household income and assets, as well as data on beneficiaries of social programs existing before the pandemic, financial inclusion, political preferences, and behaviors related to Covid-19 in general. The data collection procedure for the second round, as well as its dissemination, were carried out in the same way as for the first round. Data from the two rounds of the survey were combined to create a household-level data panel. By conducting a correlation exercise between participation in the second round and demographic characteristics, we found that being a woman increased the probability of participating in the second round of the survey. Similarly, people with a higher level of education and higher income were more likely to participate in the second round. In line with these results, we also found a positive correlation between being 40 years old or older and participating in the follow-up survey. Panel data are useful for analyzing the effects of the pandemic on more detailed situations and preferences of households within a country and between countries. Weights are included that correct for differences in sample size between countries and provide greater weighting to observations from countries with larger populations.