Marginal warming associated with a COVID-19 quarantine and the implications for disease transmission.

ABSTRACT: During January-February 2020, parts of China faced restricted mobility under COVID-19 quarantines, which have been associated with improved air quality. Because particulate pollutants scatter, diffuse, and absorb incoming solar radiation, a net negative radiative forcing, decreased air pollution can yield surface warming. As such, this study (1) documents the evolution of China's January-February 2020 air temperature and concurrent particulate changes; (2) determines the temperature response related to reduced particulates during the COVID-19 quarantine (C19Q); and (3) discusses the conceptual implications for temperature-dependent disease transmission. C19Q particulate evolution is monitored using satellite analyses, and concurrent temperature anomalies are diagnosed using surface station

SUBMITTER: Miller PW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7973055 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature