These parts of L.A. barely felt the winter coronavirus surge. Here is why they were spared

LOS ANGELES — The winter surge of COVID-19 brutalized much of Los Angeles County, sending case rates and deaths skyrocketing for weeks.

But in some neighborhoods, the pandemic's wrath was barely felt.

In West Hollywood, Malibu and Playa del Rey, infection rates actually fell, or increased much less than elsewhere, according to a Times data analysis of more than 300 neighborhoods and cities across the county.

Those communities' relative good fortune can be explained by some obvious demographic factors, such as Malibu's low housing density and West Hollywood's large population of singles able to work from home.

But residents and city officials also point to other factors they believe helped keep the pandemic under control: sea breezes, easy access to open space for exercising, a strong culture of mask compliance and, crucially, limited contact with other people.

"I am keenly aware that I am in the minority of people," said Shayna Moon, a project manager for a technology company who works from home in Playa del Rey, where case rates declined during the surge. "So few people have been protected in the way that people in my