[CondorFlight]

If it were just density, then Hong Kong and Singapore ought to have thousands of deaths each, instead of less than 100 combined.

[usconservative]

If it were just density, then Hong Kong and Singapore ought to have thousands of deaths each, instead of less than 100 combined.

There is a big difference between HK, Singapore and NYC and it's this:

The people of HK and Singapore wear masks during a normal cold and flu season. It's what they do. They're also far more compliant to their Government's orders. (Well, HK is/was when it wasn't the CCP that is.)

[MrEdd]

Rail transportation in Singapore and Hong Kong has an innovation called sanitation. From my time in Asia and in New York City I am guessing that might make a difference.

[wildcard_redneck]

“If it were just density, then Hong Kong and Singapore ought to have thousands of deaths each, instead of less than 100 combined.”

Unlike the two cities you mentioned New York City does not demand that immigrants from the Turd World adhere to first world standards.

here is from the New York city comptroller’s website:

Our Immigrant Population Helps Power NYC Economy
JANUARY 11, 2017

Countries of Origin of New York City Immigrants
New York City has 3.3 million foreign-born immigrants, from more than 150 countries, who comprise nearly 40% of the City population.

Country/Region of Origin
Number
Percent
Dominican Republic
453,176
13.70%
China
332,255
10.00%
Jamaica
185,681
5.60%
Mexico
179,613
5.40%
Guyana
140,340
4.20%
Ecuador
138,295
4.20%
Haiti
91,595
2.80%
India
91,048
2.70%
Trinidad & Tobago
89,302
2.70%
Bangladesh
83,949
2.50%
Colombia
69,777
2.10%
Ukraine
66,339
2.00%
Philippines
65,657
2.00%
Korea
64,747
2.00%
Russia
62,475
1.90%
Pakistan
54,214
1.60%
Poland
52,648
1.60%
Italy
49,531
1.50%
Hong Kong
39,290
1.20%
Peru
32,822
1.00%
Uzbekistan
32,606
1.00%
El Salvador
31,624
1.00%
Honduras
30,281
0.90%
Guatemala
29,524
0.90%
Israel
29,372
0.90%
Canada
28,711
0.90%
Nigeria
28,616
0.90%
Ghana
25,504
0.80%
France
23,635
0.70%
Greece
22,765
0.70%
Germany
21,515
0.60%
Egypt
20,981
0.60%
Japan
20,969
0.60%
Africa, Other & Unspec.
20,964
0.60%
Barbados
20,150
0.60%
Panama
19,832
0.60%
Taiwan
19,822
0.60%
United Kingdom
19,725
0.60%
England
17,613
0.50%
Grenada
17,595
0.50%
Cuba
16,509
0.50%
Other Europe
15,173
0.50%
Vietnam
14,968
0.50%
St Vincent and Grenadines
14,389
0.40%
Romania
13,344
0.40%
Ireland
13,113
0.40%
Yemen
11,703
0.40%
Brazil
11,556
0.30%
Western Africa
11,022
0.30%
West Indies
10,745
0.30%
Argentina
10,727
0.30%
Spain
10,642
0.30%
Nicaragua
10,356
0.30%
Malaysia
10,169
0.30%
Australia
10,136
0.30%
Turkey
10,070
0.30%
Belarus
9,321
0.30%
Senegal
8,864
0.30%
Myanmar
8,781
0.30%
USSR
8,776
0.30%
Dominica
8,665
0.30%
St Lucia
8,436
0.30%
Caribbean
8,259
0.20%
Nepal
8,136
0.20%
Venezuela
7,680
0.20%
Azerbaijan
7,594
0.20%
Morocco
7,504
0.20%
Montenegro
7,407
0.20%
Hungary
7,269
0.20%
Georgia
6,969
0.20%
Antigua & Barbuda
6,342
0.20%
Thailand
6,318
0.20%
Iran
6,227
0.20%
Costa Rica
5,506
0.20%
Bulgaria
5,424
0.20%
Yugoslavia
5,323
0.20%
Sri Lanka
5,030
0.20%
South Africa
4,996
0.20%
Syria
4,847
0.10%
Belize
4,741
0.10%
Kazakhstan
4,729
0.10%
Middle East, Other & Unspec.
4,669
0.10%
Austria
4,600
0.10%
Switzerland
4,342
0.10%
Asia, Other & Unspec.
4,247
0.10%
Croatia
4,195
0.10%
Chile
4,186
0.10%
Indonesia
4,155
0.10%
Macedonia
4,143
0.10%
Lebanon
4,003
0.10%
Afghanistan
3,891
0.10%
Moldova
3,786
0.10%
Sweden
3,662
0.10%
South Central Asia
3,626
0.10%
Gambia
3,477
0.10%
Togo
3,469
0.10%
Netherlands
3,325
0.10%
Armenia
3,301
0.10%
Kenya
3,292
0.10%
Serbia
3,098
0.10%
Belgium
3,053
0.10%
Americas, Other & Unspec.
2,942
0.10%
Guinea
2,828
0.10%
Lithuania
2,763
0.10%
Bolivia
2,527
0.10%
Singapore
2,460
0.10%
South America
2,377
0.10%
Slovakia
2,373
0.10%
Jordan
2,339
0.10%
Ethiopia
2,254
0.10%
Uruguay
2,211
0.10%
Latvia
2,191
0.10%
Portugal
2,151
0.10%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2,061
0.10%
New Zealand
2,020
0.10%
Sudan
1,976
0.10%
Algeria
1,975
0.10%
Northern Africa
1,949
0.10%
Liberia
1,944
0.10%
Sierra Leone
1,941
0.10%
Paraguay
1,709
0.10%
Cambodia
1,684
0.10%
TOTAL
3,315,519
100%

source: https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/our-immigrant-population-helps-power-nyc-economy/

Navigate to the source for much more readable table of statistics. I could have formatted the table but that would take some time in HTML and I do have a life.

[Rurudyne]

Just like if it was mass transit you would expect BART (in a proverbial human feces hazard zone) to represent a much greater risk.

[alloysteel]

Hong Kong and Singapore citizens are MUCH less in your face than New Yorkers, a brassy, assertive sort of people, and this trait cuts across all the other cultural differences.

Rude is contagious, and pretty much the way of life there.

[Bob434]

there are several strains of this virus apparently- those two might have gotten the mild version

[GOPJ]

Maybe New York got a lot of ‘first spread’ hits.

Seems the second person who gets the disease gets a watered down version.

If this was a military weapon (no one knows) the logical places to spread first wave toxins would be New York (financial center), Chicago (transportation center),California (tech centers) Atlanta etc (travel hub centers) and last but not least Washington (Government center)...

Will fall bring a second punch? Will the free world choose to wipe the map clean? Only time will tell.

[Simon Foxx]

“If it were just density, then Hong Kong and Singapore ought to have thousands of deaths each, instead of less than 100 combined.”

The reason for the difference can be summed up with one word - which is also the Numero Uno determinant of a society’s success: CULTURE.

Honk Kong and Singapore are not NYC (to put it mildly). No bums living in the streets, and I would wager the personal hygiene habits of the average inhabitant are a bit different too. Oh yes - wearing masks during flu season is standard fare over there.

[Labyrinthos]

“If it were just density, then Hong Kong and Singapore ought to have thousands of deaths each, instead of less than 100 combined.”

Singapore’s population density is about 30% less than NYC (~20,000 vs. 27,000 per sq. mi.) and its total population is about 25% less than NYC (5.6 millions vs. 8.3 million). Although Hong Kong’s density (~42,000 per sq. mi.) is nearly twice as dense as NYC, its total population (~1.3 million) is about 1/6th as large as NYC.

Perhaps most significant is the fact that NYC is part of the NYC metropolitan area, which has a population of ~23 million people, who are tied together by the largest mass transit system in the world, with a total ridership of 2.275 billion people per year (that’s over 6 million people a day).

Here’s a list of the most densely populated cities in the USA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population_density

Nine of the top ten densest cities are in the NYC metro area with several having densities of 50,000 people per sq. mi.

Two other factors: First, Hong Kong is controlled by the CCP and thus, I’m surprised that Hong Kong has reported any deaths. Second, from what I have read recently, obesity and obesity related diseases (i.e., Type II diabetes) create the greatest risk of life threatening complications from the Chinese Wuhan Flu. The USA is ranked as one of the fattest countries, if not the fattest counrty in the world. Singapore is ranked as one of the lowest.