Nature inequity and higher COVID-19 case rates

• Urban nature—such as greenness and parks—can alleviate distress and provide space for safe recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• However, nature is often less available in low-income populations and communities of color—the same communities hardest hit by COVID-19.

• In analyses of two datasets, researchers quantified inequity in greenness and park proximity across all urbanized areas in the United States and linked greenness and park access to COVID-19 case rates for ZIP codes in 17 states.

• Areas with the majority of persons of color had both higher case rates and less greenness.

• Across the United States, block groups with lower income and majority persons of color are less green and have fewer parks.

• Recent findings demonstrate that the communities most impacted by COVID-19 also have the least nature nearby. Given that urban nature is associated with both human health and biodiversity, these results have far-reaching implications both during and beyond the pandemic.

Published: 11 October 2021

source:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00781-9

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00781-9