Green spaces, especially forest, linked to lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates: A one-year nationwide study (preprint)

ABSTRACT

This study examined the associations between green spaces and one-years worth of SARS-CoV- 2 infection rates across all 3,108 counties in the contiguous United States after controlling for multiple categories of confounding factors. We found green spaces at the county level have a significant negative association with infection rates. Among all types of green spaces, forest yields the most consistent and strongest negative association. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the negative association of forest across five urbanicity levels, and the strength of the association increases as disease incidence increases across five time periods. Although forest located in moderately urbanized counties yields the strongest association, the negative pattern of significant associations holds across all five urbanicity levels. A population-weighted analysis revealed that proximity to forest within a moderate walking distance ([≤] 1.0-1.4 km) may provide the greatest protection against the risk of infection.