ANI |
Updated: May 12, 2021 21:28 IST
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) [US]May 12 (ANI): Park plays an important role for those who are looking for a break from social isolation during the pandemicand they did so without increasing the spread of COVID-19, according to new research from Drexel University.
The study looked at how people used 22 parks in Philadelphia and New York during their peak pandemic and it did not find a strong correlation between park usage and the number of confirmed cases in neighboring areas.
Published in the Journal of Extreme Events, Drexel’s study “Using Urban Parks During the COVID-19 Pandemic” surveyed the park guest for a three-month period from May to July 2020 at small and medium-sized parks in New York and Philadelphia. And it compares park usage numbers with COVID-19 transmission rates in areas directly around the park.
“Despite initial speculation that parks could become gathering places for large groups of people and contribute to transmission of COVID-19Our study did not find a strong correlation between COVID-19 cases in residential areas near parks and the number of people using them,” said Franco Montalto, PhD, professor at the Technical University Drexel, lead researcher, said.
In the early months of pandemic Last spring, public health guidelines recommended avoiding gathering in large groups outside. As a result, many cities have closed public playgrounds with high-touch areas, like swings and skateboards, out of an abundance of caution. But most public parks remain open and, according to the study, those in Philadelphia and New York continue to be used throughout. pandemic.
The researchers selected 22 small urban parks, 15 in Philadelphia, and 7 in New York City, located in or near neighborhoods representing varying degrees of population density. relative and vulnerability, according to CDC Census and Social Vulnerability Index data – a tool that uses Census data to identify communities that may need assistance in disaster and crisis situations. This allowed the team to take these factors into account when examining the possibility of a link between park use and COVID-19 transmission.
The study found that, regardless of the vulnerability of the city or the society of the surrounding areas, in more densely populated areas, parks tend to be used more. But this increased usage doesn’t equate to a higher level transmission of COVID-19 – is more closely related to the vulnerability of neighboring areas, according to the study.
They wrote: “While a broader epidemiological study is needed, this study does not provide evidence that park use contributes to the spread of COVID-19. Number of parks guest increased with density in Philadelphia, as did the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Citizen scientists assigned to each park observed to what extent and in what ways they were used and whether guest engaged in activities deemed “high risk” for transmission of COVID-19, such as playing contact sports, not wearing a mask, or coughing without covering.
Overall, only a small percentage of park users – 22.7% in Philadelphia and 1.2% in New York – never wear a mask, according to the study. The majority of park users were observed not to engage in high-risk behaviors – only 0.7% in Philadelphia and 0.9% in New York were observed to frequently cough or spit without covering mouth. And just 1.6% and 12.9% of people were observed regularly participating in contact sports in Philadelphia and New York City, respectively.
“While cities have closed parks for the time being pandemic likely did so out of an abundance of caution, in our work there is no evidence to support the closure of parks during pandemic“Montalto said.” The person continued to visit parks during the lockdown and the early stages of pandemic emphasizes the obvious value of the park as a resting place for urban dwellers in the early stages of pandemic. “(ANI)
