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Why Italy First? Health, Geographical and Planning Aspects of the COVID-19 Outbreak

Author

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  • Beniamino Murgante

    (School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Borruso

    (Department of Economics, Business, Mathematics and Statistics “Bruno de Finetti”, University of Trieste, Via Tigor 22, 34124 Trieste, Italy)

  • Ginevra Balletto

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy)

  • Paolo Castiglia

    (Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy)

  • Marco Dettori

    (Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy)

Abstract

COVID-19 hit Italy in February 2020 after its outbreak in China at the beginning of January. Why was Italy first among the Western countries? What are the conditions that made Italy more vulnerable and the first target of this disease? What characteristics and diffusion patterns could be highlighted and hypothesized from its outbreak to the end of March 2020, after containment measures, including a national lockdown, were introduced? In this paper, we try to provide some answers to these questions, analyzing the issue from medical, geographical and planning points of view. With reference to the Italian case, we observed the phenomenon in terms of the spatial diffusion process and by observing the relation between the epidemic and various environmental elements. In particular, we started from a hypothesis of the comparable economic, geographical, climatic and environmental conditions of the areas of Wuhan (in the Hubei Province in China, where the epidemic broke out) and the Po Valley area (in Italy) where most cases and deaths were registered. Via an ecological approach, we compared the spatial distribution and pattern of COVID-19-related mortality in Italy with several geographical, environmental and socio-economic variables at a Provincial level, analyzing them by means of spatial analytical techniques such as LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association). Possible evidence arose relating to COVID-19 cases and Nitrogen-related pollutants and land take, particularly in the Po Valley area.

Suggested Citation

  • Beniamino Murgante & Giuseppe Borruso & Ginevra Balletto & Paolo Castiglia & Marco Dettori, 2020. "Why Italy First? Health, Geographical and Planning Aspects of the COVID-19 Outbreak," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-44, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:12:p:5064-:d:374593
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    6. Angela Pilogallo & Francesco Scorza, 2022. "Ecosystem Services Multifunctionality: An Analytical Framework to Support Sustainable Spatial Planning in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, March.
    7. Qian Liu & Wei Liu & Dexuan Sha & Shubham Kumar & Emily Chang & Vishakh Arora & Hai Lan & Yun Li & Zifu Wang & Yadong Zhang & Zhiran Zhang & Jackson T. Harris & Srikar Chinala & Chaowei Yang, 2020. "An Environmental Data Collection for COVID-19 Pandemic Research," Data, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-13, August.
    8. Eleonora Cutrini & Luca Salvati, 2021. "Unraveling spatial patterns of COVID‐19 in Italy: Global forces and local economic drivers," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(S1), pages 73-108, November.
    9. Teresa Graziano, 2021. "Smart Technologies, Back-to-the-Village Rhetoric, and Tactical Urbanism: Post-COVID Planning Scenarios in Italy," International Journal of E-Planning Research (IJEPR), IGI Global, vol. 10(2), pages 80-93, April.
    10. Cristini, Annalisa & Trivin, Pedro, 2022. "Close encounters during a pandemic: Social habits and inter-generational links in the first two waves of COVID-19," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    11. Tiziana Campisi & Socrates Basbas & Anastasios Skoufas & Nurten Akgün & Dario Ticali & Giovanni Tesoriere, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Resilience of Sustainable Mobility in Sicily," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-24, October.
    12. Luca Barbarossa, 2020. "The Post Pandemic City: Challenges and Opportunities for a Non-Motorized Urban Environment. An Overview of Italian Cases," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, September.
    13. Romano, Bernardino & Zullo, Francesco & Saganeiti, Lucia & Montaldi, Cristina, 2023. "Evaluation of cut-off values in the control of land take in Italy towards the SDGs 2030," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    14. Cristini, Annalisa & Trivin, Pedro, 2020. "Close encounters on the verge of a pandemic: the role of social contacts on the spread and mortality of COVID-19," MPRA Paper 103075, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Naimoli, Antonio, 2022. "Modelling the persistence of Covid-19 positivity rate in Italy," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    16. Sarbast Moslem & Tiziana Campisi & Agnieszka Szmelter-Jarosz & Szabolcs Duleba & Kh Md Nahiduzzaman & Giovanni Tesoriere, 2020. "Best–Worst Method for Modelling Mobility Choice after COVID-19: Evidence from Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, August.
    17. Marco Dettori & Paola Pittaluga & Giulia Busonera & Carmelo Gugliotta & Antonio Azara & Andrea Piana & Antonella Arghittu & Paolo Castiglia, 2020. "Environmental Risks Perception Among Citizens Living Near Industrial Plants: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-19, July.
    18. Simona Tondelli & Ebrahim Farhadi & Bahareh Akbari Monfared & Mehdi Ataeian & Hossein Tahmasebi Moghaddam & Marco Dettori & Lucia Saganeiti & Beniamino Murgante, 2022. "Air Quality and Environmental Effects Due to COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran: Lessons for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-28, November.
    19. Ginevra Balletto & Mara Ladu & Alessandra Milesi & Giuseppe Borruso, 2021. "A Methodological Approach on Disused Public Properties in the 15-Minute City Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.

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