Examining the Relationship between COVID Death Rates and Population Density

American Thinker.com ^ | April 15, 2021 | Spike Hampson

[Kaslin]

Archives Home → Articles American Thinker on MeWe Parler| Print| Email April 15, 2021 Examining the Relationship between COVID Death Rates and Population Density By Spike Hampson Calculation of simple rates for new COVID cases and deaths has revealed that mask mandate states have performed no better than states in which masks have been voluntary. Advocates for the mandate are looking for a confounding variable that — when properly controlled — will reveal the heroic performance of mask mandates as life-saving actions taken by enlightened governments. Almost certainly, they will settle on population density as the knight in shining armor designated as Defender of the Mandate.

Already, some are beginning to contend that high population density is the main cause of COVID diffusion. Once this is controlled for, they claim, the effectiveness of the mask mandate will be established.

This is the hope. What follows is a dose of reality.

This table positions each state's cumulative COVID death rate according to its level of population density.

Each red dot is an individual state, and the red line running through them all is a regression line calculated to indicate the trend. From zero out to roughly 300–500 people per square mile, there is no discernible evidence that population density has any effect at all. On the other hand, from that point on, there is a much closer association between the two variables: the few states with very high population densities do have correspondingly high COVID death rates. Based on this, the best hypothesis might be that there is a density threshold below which density doesn't matter but above which it does. We will look at the five boroughs of more densely populated New York City.

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[lightman]

If “social distancing” “works” why do we “need” masks?
If masks “work”, why do we “need” “social distancing?”

If the vaccines work why do we “need” either of those?
- - -

So it appears from the article that vaccination and/or masks are very much needed in densely populated cities...

...so leave the rest of us alone.

We’ll travel at our own risk.

[Bonemaker]

“Already, some are beginning to contend that high population density is the main cause of COVID diffusion.”

Translation: filthy big democrat cities are far, far worse for covid (and everything else for that matter).

[AndyTheBear]

There is no tendency for the more densely populated ZIP code areas to have higher COVID death rates.

Hold on, people do not live exclusively in the zip code their home is in. When they come into contact with others is it not often in neighboring zip codes?

[Kaslin]

You must be talking about people that live way out in the country? That is nothing for me. I have to have houses around me, even when I don’t talk to my neighbors.

[mjp]

for lefturd loons it’s all about control, not science

[Wuli]

Attributes/variables other than population density would appear to be more important in Covid-19 death rates.

But we already know that.

I think we have already been told what some of those attributes are, and population density cannot tell where they are found most.

Those attributes are the comorbidity factors that make someone more vulnerable. Those factors are distributed however life’s circumstances has placed the individuals with them, and that distribution has little to do with population density.

Yet on a broader scale, statistically, a more populous state should have more folks, in numbers, with comorbidities that make them vulnerable than would less populated states.

But that alone cannot explain higher death rates as a percent of population in a highly populated state like New York. Yes, it would be expected to have more deaths, just because it has so many more people. But that does not justify higher death rates as a % of its population compared to other states.

The one other factor that likely made a difference would be measures a state did, or didn’t do, to protect the most vulnerable - like the elderly in nursing homes. And we know how New York performed in that matter. Very poorly.

[gloryblaze]

With the Corona-attributed death numbers so fouled up, these studies have to be a bit sketchy.

[dfwgator]

Our population is dense, that’s for sure.

[Pollard]

Translation: filthy big democrat cities are far, far worse for covid (and everything else for that matter).

Translation: filthy big democrat cities are far, far more apt to lie, including coroners, hospital admins and workers to get that $14k fedgov hands out per alleged covid death

[daniel1212]

Pop. density must be factored in relative to Covid-assigned deaths, but so must the median age of the population and interaction (public vs. private trans. for instance) and weight.

[inchworm]

That’s why they want to crowd us with illegals

[MortMan]

GIGO - Garbage in, garbage out.

The “COVID” death rates are the garbage in.