I know this is based on China data which raises questions on core data accuracy but would be very interesting to see if this is the case elsewhere
Making a link between a city’s density and its vulnerability to epidemics may seem like an obvious connection. But it may, in fact, be off the mark. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its spread across the globe, places with high urban population density have seemed to be especially at risk to some observers. A common argument is that high population density makes cities more vulnerable to epidemics because of the possibility of frequent interpersonal contacts. New York City is often cited as a prime example.
This argument may sound straightforward, but on examination, its premise is not well-grounded. If you look around the world, some extremely dense cities, such as Singapore, Seoul, and Shanghai, have outperformed many other less-populated places in combating the coronavirus. Based on evidence from China, we would like to present a counter argument.
