Spread of the COVID-19 In Russia: Regional Peculiarities

The spread of COVID-19 is highly differentiated both between countries and between territories within countries. The main aim of this article is to identify the characteristics of regions that affect the scale of spread of coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation during the second wave of the pandemic. Using econometric modeling methods, the dependences between a number of regional characteristics reflecting the vulnerability of regions and their ability to resist infection were assessed, in addition to the scale of the spread of coronavirus infection. The wealth of a region and social capital of its population became the factors of resistance. The populations of wealthier Russian regions are less exposed to infection, while the most vulnerable are poorer regions, regions with a high population density, poorer environmental quality, and older populations. The article demonstrates the role of social capital in resisting a pandemic: higher quality social capital is associated with lower infection and mortality rates. The findings can be used to inform regional policy measures to potentially reduce COVID-19 and other infections.