Does solar ultraviolet radiation play a role in COVID-19 infection and deaths? An environmental ecological study in Italy.

ABSTRACT: A significantly stronger impact in mortality and morbidity by COVID-19 has been observed in the northern Italian regions compared to the southern ones. The reasons of this geographical pattern might involve several concurrent factors. The main objective of this work is to investigate whether any correlations exist between the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the different Italian regions and the amount of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation at the Earth's surface. To this purpose, in this environmental ecological study a mixed-effect exponential regression was built to explain the incidence of COVID-19 based on the environmental conditions, and demographic and pathophysiologic factors. Observations and estimates of the cumulative solar UV exposure have been included to qua

SUBMITTER: Isaia G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7678486 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature