Understanding infection risks of COVID-19 in the city: an investigation of infected neighborhoods in Wuhan

TL;DR

This study investigates how demographic and built environment factors in Wuhan's neighborhoods influence COVID-19 infection risks, highlighting the importance of targeted social distancing policies in urban settings.

Contribution

It identifies key environmental and demographic factors associated with high infection rates, providing insights for targeted mitigation strategies in dense urban areas.

Findings

High-infection neighborhoods have a higher proportion of elderly residents.

No significant difference in population density across neighborhoods.

Proximity to high-risk built environments correlates with infection risk.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, built environments in dense urban settings become major sources of infection. This study tests the difference of demographics and surrounding built environments across high-, medium- and low-infection neighborhoods, to inform the high-risk areas in the city. We found that high-infection neighborhoods own a higher ratio of aged population than other neighborhoods on average. However, it shows no statistical difference in terms of population density. Additionally, high-infection neighborhoods are closer to high-risk built environments than the others. In a walking distance, they also can access more of the high-risk built environments except for the wholesale markets and shopping malls. These findings advise policy-makers to deploy social distancing measures in precision, regulating the access of high-risk facilities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.