Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

[Undertoad]

My theory is that in the US this is hitting the rich people first. Probably due to the fact that only the well-off do trips to China and northern Italy.

In Montgomery County PA where I live they have a map of cases and one township currently has more than double the numbers of cases than any other township.

It's Lower Merion township, where all the rich folks are!

Delaware County has a similar map and it's Radnor and Haverford where all the rich folks are... but then, Upper Darby where there are no rich folks at all, so it broke the streak.

Chester County, it's Tredyffrin and Easttown right down the main line from Montgomery's Lower Merion.

In all counties, the rich people who live out in the sticks seem protected.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

My theory is that in the US this is hitting the rich people first.

UT's evidence is distorted by one fact. Towns with highest numbers are also towns with most of the county's population. Numbers by percentages would say something more accurate. But his conclusion may be true. Since many of those towns also contain a large number of commuters to NYC.

Some of the first counties that were ordered shutdown include Wayne and Pike counties in NE Pennsylvania and Leigh county. These counties also have plenty of rich people who commute daily to NYC on Interstates 78 and 80 - completely across NJ.

Counties in New Jersey also hard hit are those adjacent to NYC.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by tw

UT's evidence is distorted by one fact. Towns with highest numbers are also towns with most of the county's population.

Yes but

Lower Merion population: 59,000. lower-upper class to upper-upper class. Cases: 71

2 miles away, Norristown population: 35,000. lower-lower class to lower-middle class. Cases: 4

Just saying, it's an interesting phenomenon

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

2 miles away, Norristown population: 35,000. lower-lower class to lower-middle class. Cases: 4

Those people in Norristown do not commute to NYC.

I was rather amazed how many in Lower Merion and other rich towns will even drive to Trenton to take a train into NYC. Blue collar workers in Norristown would not do that kind of commuting.

I was amazed, even in the 1970s, how many people commuted daily from PA across NJ to NYC and Newark. Those are counties that have higher Covid-19 cases. Blue collar workers cannot afford such commutes.

Was rather surprised that Montgomery County (not Philadelphia County) was Pennsylvania's first hot spot. And that was (as your map shows) mostly in the heavily populated eastern towns (Upper Providence being the exception).

[monster]

Originally Posted by Griff

I think it's been reported as fact that this is a rich people first virus. Early cases in Mexico were rich folks who vacationed in Colorado. If you fly you have a higher chance of picking this up.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Yes but

Lower Merion population: 59,000. lower-upper class to upper-upper class. Cases: 71

2 miles away, Norristown population: 35,000. lower-lower class to lower-middle class. Cases: 4

Just saying, it's an interesting phenomenon

Here, zipcode and ethnic stats show it's the poorer people who are getting infected

https://www.washtenaw.org/3108/Cases...0W0E4r0lv0Bkp0


48197 and 48198 are the zips for Ypsilanti and cover the poorest areas in the county.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by monster

Here, zipcode and ethnic stats show it's the poorer people who are getting infected

It's moving from the richer places to the poorer places; NY Times suggests this is because the poorer are not restricting their movement because many of them can't afford to stay home, and many of them are essential.

[monster]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

It's moving from the richer places to the poorer places; NY Times suggests this is because the poorer are not restricting their movement because many of them can't afford to stay home, and many of them are essential.

Also, they're living right on top of one another. those zipcodes are full of blocks of tiny apartments and trailer parks crammed with tiny trailers

[Luce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

It's moving from the richer places to the poorer places; NY Times suggests this is because the poorer are not restricting their movement because many of them can't afford to stay home, and many of them are essential.

That might be worth remembering later.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Delaware County has a similar map and it's Radnor and Haverford where all the rich folks are... but then, Upper Darby where there are no rich folks at all, so it broke the streak.

You have to establish an account to see them, but Upper Darby is where the help lives.