Coronavirus / COVID-19 spread not associated with temperature, latitude: Study

Ottawa: Coronavirus or COVID 19 may not be abated by hotter and humid weather conditions! However, measures such as social distancing and restrictions on mass gatherings can check Coronavirus, as per a study. In not so good news, particularly for people residing in large parts of India, hotter and humid weather conditions may not be able to check the spread of this highly contagious disease that has infected thousands across the country and lakhs around the globe. A global study has detected that temperature and latitude are not connected with COVID-19 disease. However, measures such as school closures and public health interventions were seen having a positive impact in checking the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, as per PTI report.

The revelation has been made in a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The study looked at 144 geopolitical areas. These areas include large swathes of the US, Canada, Australia, and other countries around the world. The study observed a total of over 3.75 coronavirus positive cases. However, the study excluded countries like Italy, China, Iran, and South Korea citing reasons that virus was waning in China and prevalent condition of full disease outbreak at the time of the analysis in others, the report said.

The researchers tried to estimate epidemic growth by comparing the number of coronavirus cases on March 27 with the figures of March 20. These cases helped determine the influence of temperature, humidity, latitude, school closures, social distancing, and restrictions of mass gatherings recorded during the exposure period of March 7 to March 13.

Peter Juni from the University of Toronto, and St. Michael’s Hospital in Canada said that the study provided pivotal new evidence, using global data from the COVID-19 epidemic. The evidence showed that that public health interventions like restrictions on mass gathering, social distancing have managed to reduce the growth coronavirus.

The study revealed that it found little or no association between latitude or temperature with the epidemic growth of COVID-19. There is a weak association between humidity and reduction in the transmission rate of coronavirus. Researchers said that hotter had no effect on the progression of Coronavirus. “We had conducted a preliminary study that suggested both latitude and temperature could play a role. But when we repeated the study under much more rigorous conditions, we got the opposite result,” researchers said in the study. “Summer is not going to make this go away,” the study emphasized.

According to the study, public health interventions are really key as these the only factors that are slowing the epidemic. While deciding how to lift restrictions, governments and public health authorities must carefully consider the impact of these measures against potential economic and mental health harms and benefits, the study said.

The researchers have also noted differences in testing practices, the inability to estimate actual rates of COVID-19, and compliance with social distancing as study limitations.