A Global Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Greenspaces on COVID-19 Infection and Mortality Rates

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 resulted in rapidly rising infection rates with high associated mortality rates. In response, several epidemiological studies aimed to define ways in which the spread and severity of COVID-19 can be curbed. As a result, there is a steady increase in the evidence linking greenspaces and COVID-19 impact. However, the evidence of the benefits of greenspaces or greenness to human wellbeing in the context of COVID-19 is fragmented and sometimes contradictory. This calls for a meta-analysis of existing studies to clarify the matter. Here, we identified 621 studies across the world on the matter, which were then filtered down to 13 relevant studies for meta-analysis, covering Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA. These studies were meta-analyzed, with the impacts of greenness on COVID-19 infection rate quantified using regression estimates whereas impacts on mortality rates were measured using mortality rate ratios. We found evidence of significant negative correlations between greenness and both COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. We further found that the impacts on COVID-19 infection and related mortality are moderated by year of publication, greenness metrics, sample size, health and political covariates. This clarification has far-reaching implications for policy development toward the establishment and management of green infrastructure for the benefit of human wellbeing.