Population mobility patterns change each time an administration imposes, or lifts COVID restrictions. If a policy was initially correct, then the infection rate should increase when they relax it. Scientists at Stanford and Northwestern University have analyzed cellphone data to track people’s movements. They say they have identified the COVID hot spots where infection spreads quickest.
10 COVID Hot Spots Where Infection Spreads Fastest
The scientists explain their findings in an incredibly detailed report. Follow the link at the end of this post if you find this hard to believe. You can view the unabridged report there. The 10 places accounting for an incredible 80% of infections are all smaller, more crowded sites where people linger longer.
The COVID hot spots where infection spreads quickest stand out clearly across all metro areas studied. Full service restaurants, gyms, hotels, cafes, religious organizations, and limited-service restaurants produce the largest increases in infections when they reopen. However, the rates of increase are higher in low income areas. That’s because these are more congested and service is slower.
What Should We Do Now With This Information
New York Post says the study did not track mobility patterns and infections at nursing homes, prisons, and schools. This may have perhaps been because visits to these places are less elective.
However, the results appear reliable because the study followed 98 million people as they moved about 10 major U.S. cities. And these included New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.
It’s not for us to say stop visiting places like restaurants, gyms, hotels, cafes, and places of worship. These are destinations where we go to keep our spirits up during a persistent pandemic, and it’s our right. However, we could make things easier for all of us if we took greater care when we’re there. Perhaps that’s what to take home with this breaking news.
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