Social distancing is easier in rural areas.
Dean Conger/Corbis via Getty Images
[...]
“Remote rural towns are a good place to be early in a pandemic, as they tend to be more spread out, which potentially means fewer chances to catch a bug. Remote rural areas are also, by definition, way removed from major seaports, airports and often even big highways. So it generally takes longer for new viruses to show up in tiny towns, like Fredonia, Kan.”
[...]
“It's a scenario that has played out before. Alex Navarro, a medical historian at the University of Michigan, says Spanish flu swept the entire U.S. in 1918, except for a few notable exceptions, including Gunnison, Colo.
"You have the story of a town that literally barricaded the roads and forced everyone who did come into town into quarantine," Navarro says.
In fact, all of Gunnison County sealed itself off from the outside world for four months. And it worked. At the height of the Spanish flu pandemic, Gunnison recorded just two cases, both in isolation.”
[...]
BBM:
“Edson says a serious outbreak could quickly overwhelm the local health system.
"If enough people need more hospitalization, well they'll have to go elsewhere and [that's] a fact. It'll be challenging to everybody," Edson says.”
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Now, let’s take the (full) above article and compare it to this, which is why I said earlier there goes my bright idea of retreating into the mountains”:
“Polis called Aspen a “hotspot” for infection, noting that mountain communities are especially vulnerable because of their lack of resources to fight the virus’ spread. Combined with their high altitude and the fact that they draw so many visitors from the Front Range and out of state, they are particularly risky.”
“A test of our Colorado character”: High country will be hardest hit by coronavirus, governor warn
MAR 11, 2020
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And this:
“Resort and mountain communities will be hit hardest first, Polis said. They have "limited surge capacity." The governor advises that people over 60 or those with chronic health conditions avoid unnecessary travel to high country outbreak areas and/or attending large public events.”
Colorado Ramps Up Coronavirus Response As Reported Cases Double In One Day, High Country Becomes ‘Hot Spot’
March 11, 2020
