While density was not significantly linked to infection rate, the investigators found that denser counties tended to have lower death rates than sprawling areas.
Coronavirus Doesn't Favor Crowded Cities, Study Shows
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Densely populated areas of the United States don't have higher rates of COVID-19 infection and death than less-congested areas, according to a new study.
The findings counter the conventional wisdom that the new coronavirus spreads more easily in cities and other densely populated areas.
"The fact that density is unrelated to confirmed virus infection rates and inversely related to confirmed COVID-19 death rates is important, unexpected, and profound," said lead author Shima Hamidi. She's an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.