Are There Common Factors With Spread Of COVID-19 Disease?

Much of the media has focused upon the raw numbers for COVID-19 infection cases in the United States, and, that’s just one way of examining data. Of course, it doesn’t look good, and some may try and put a “spin” on the information as they whistle past the proverbial graveyard – it’s a type of denial… which is not just a river in Egypt.

So in that sense, I sought to examine population, population density, global population comparison, national area (in square miles) in psuedo-randomly selected nations throughout the world, and THEN to post their Infection Rates. By so doing, it gives a more clear understanding of the nature of the problem, at least in some sense.

Copper engraving of Doctor Schnabel [i.e Dr. Beak], a plague doctor in seventeenth-century Rome, with a satirical macaronic poem (‘Vos Creditis, als eine Fabel, / quod scribitur vom Doctor Schnabel’) in octosyllabic rhyming couplets.

For example, consider India.

With 1,361,462,965 people, it is the 2nd most populous nation in the world, with 17.5% of the global population. Its population density is 1,051.3 people per square mile, and it has 27,890 COVID-19 cases, with an infection rate of 2 per 100,000 people.

But, some may protest saying that the population dilutes the figures. So, let’s examine another nation.

Mozambique, an African nation on the south eastern coastal horn of that continent, has 30,066,648 inhabitants, with a population density of 74.3 people per square mile. It comprises only 0.386% of the global population. And with only 76 confirmed COVID-19 cases, its infection rate is 0.2527 per 100,000.

Again, some may protest and say that heat and sunshine are the primary reason why that nation’s infection rate is so low. So again, let’s examine another nation.

With 34,218,169 people, Saudi Arabia has 0.440% of the world’s population, is largely a desert nation, and has a population density of 38.8 per square mile. With 17,522 confirmed COVID-19 cases, its infection rate is 51 per 100,000.

So what about more population dense nations? How are they faring?

Let’s examine South Korea, which reported its first case of COVID-19 disease the very same day as the United States.

South Korea has 51,780,579 people, which makes it only 0.665% of the world’s population. Yet the nation’s population density is 1,313.1 per square mile – 24.9025% more dense than India. And with 10,728 COVID-19 disease cases, its infection rate is 21 per 100,000 – less than half of Saudi Arabia’s rate, and among the lowest in the world.

Well… what about New Zealand? That nation is considering easing some of the restrictions which have been enacted to control, or mediate the spread of the disease.

New Zealanders, or Kiwis, they affectionately call themselves, comprise 0.0640% of the world’s population with a mere 4,980,895 people. That nation’s population density is 47.4 people per square mile, and with 1,470 confirmed COVID-19 disease cases, the infection rate is 30 per 100,000 – only slightly more than South Korea’s rate.

And what about the world’s 4th most populous nation?

Indonesia has 266,911,900 people, only 11.0293% fewer than the United States, comprises 3.43% of the world’s population, and with a population density of 361.75 people per square mile, it is 304.1899% more densely populated than than the United States. That South Pacific Asian tropical island nation has 8,882 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with an infection rate of 3 per 100,000, significantly lower – 98.9726% lower – than that of the United States.

How about the Nordic nations?

Sweden has 0.133% of the world’s population with 10,338,368 people, and with 59.6 people per square mile, they’re less densely populated than the United States. And with 18,640 confirmed COVID-19 disease cases, their infection rate per 100,000 is 180.

And Yemen?

Yemen has the world’s LOWEST infection rate.

With 29,825,968 people, they have 0.383% of the world’s population. And with a population density of 115.8 per square mile, they’re more dense than the United States and somewhat comparable with Mexico which has 158. But with only 1 reported case of COVID-19 disease, that nation’s infection rate is 0.0033 per 100,000 – the lowest in the world.

Again, COVID-19 is a curious disease, and national climatic conditions do not seem to play an integral role in its proliferation. It is human behavior and activity which is the most significantly influencing factor.

Based Upon Data Last Updated at (M/D/YYYY) 4/26/2020, 5:31:18 PM EST/00:31:18 UTC

Nation	Population	% of World Population	Population Density per square mile	COVID-19 cases	Infection Rate per 100,000
United States	330,000,000	4.24%	89.5	963,379	292
China	1,402,364,120	18%	52.89	83,909	6
Indonesia	266,911,900	3.43%	361.75	8,882	3
New Zealand	4,980,895	0.0640%	47.4	1,470	30
Italy	60,238,522	0.774%	521.4	179,675	298
Spain	47,100,396	0.605%	238.3	226,629	481
France	67,076,000	0.862%	300.4	162,220	242
Germany	83,149,300	1.07%	600.9	157,495	189
United Kingdom	66,435,550	0.854%	701.1	154,032	232
Sweden	10,338,368	0.133%	59.6	18,640	180
South Korea	51,780,579	0.665%	1,313.1	10,728	21
India	1,361,462,965	17.5%	1,051.3	27,890	2
Japan	125,950,000	1.62%	865.1	13,231	11
Canada	38,005,996	0.488%	10.2	46,896	123
Mexico	126,577,691	1.63%	158.0	13,842	11
Uruguay	3,518,552	0.0452%	51.3	596	17
Pakistan	219,401,520	2.82%	633.0	13,328	6
Australia	25,688,994	0.330%	8.5	6,714	26
Croatia	4,076,246	0.0524%	189.1	2,030	50
Mozambique	30,066,648	0.386%	74.3	76	0.2527
Nigeria	206,139,587	2.65%	556.8	1,182	0.5733
Saudi Arabia	34,218,169	0.440%	38.8	17,522	51
Cuba	11,209,628	0.144%	264.4	1,369	12
Cote d’Ivoire	25,823,071	0.332%	165.5	1,150	4
Yemen	29,825,968	0.383%	115.8	1	0.0033