Effect of environmental and socio-economic factors on the spreading of COVID-19 at 70 cities/provinces

The main goal of this article is to demonstrate the impact of environmental and socio-economic factors on the spreading of COVID-19. In this research, data has been collected from 70 cities/provinces of different countries around the world that are affected by COVID-19. In this research, environmental data such as temperatures, humidity, air quality and population density and socio-economic data such as GDP (PPP) per capita, per capita health expenditure, life expectancy and total test in each of these cities/provinces are considered. This data has been analyzed using statistical models such as Poisson and negative binomial models. It is found that a negative binomial regression model is the best fit for our data. Our results reveal higher population density to be an important factor for the quick spread of COVID-19 as maintenance of social distancing requirements are more difficult in urban areas. Moreover, GDP (PPP) and PM2.5 are linked with fewer cases of COVID-19 whereas PM10, and total number of tests are strongly associated with the increase of COVID-19 case counts.

Automated summary

The research reveals that population density, GDP (PPP), and PM2.5 are important factors in the quick spread of COVID-19, while PM10 and the total number of tests are strongly associated with an increase in COVID-19 cases.