Meteorological conditions are not associated with COVID-19 transmission

Objectives:
What is the association between meteorological factors (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and UV radiation) and transmission capacity of COVID-19?

Study design:
This review article included daily numbers of COVID-19 cases in 202 locations in 8 countries.

Results and conclusions:   
The investigators found temperature did not exhibit significant association with R0 of COVID-19 [meta p = 0.446].

The investigators found relative humidity [meta p = 0.215], wind speed [meta p = 0.986] and ultraviolet (UV) radiation [meta p = 0.491] were not significantly associated with R0 either. The SEIR model in China showed that with a wide range of meteorological conditions, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases would not change substantially.

The investigators concluded that meteorological factors do not have significant effect on the COVID-19 transmission. Warmer weather alone seems unlikely to reduce the COVID-19 transmission. Given the lack of association, public health agencies should not rely on the warm weather to flatten the curve of COVID-19 transmission. Therefore, the non-medication interventions should be implemented consistently to keep constraining the epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, in case of another resurgence.

Original title:
Warmer weather unlikely to reduce the COVID-19 transmission: An ecological study in 202 locations in 8 countries by Pan J, Yao Y, […], Kan H.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7480263/

Additional information of El Mondo:
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