Role of meteorological factors in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States.

ABSTRACT: Improved understanding of the effects of meteorological conditions on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent for COVID-19 disease, is needed. Here, we estimate the relationship between air temperature, specific humidity, and ultraviolet radiation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in 2669 U.S. counties with abundant reported cases from March 15 to December 31, 2020. Specifically, we quantify the associations of daily mean temperature, specific humidity, and ultraviolet radiation with daily estimates of the SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number (R_t) and calculate the fraction of R_t attributable to these meteorological conditions. Lower air temperature (within the 20-40 °C range), lower specific humidity, and lower ultraviolet radiation were significantly associated with

SUBMITTER: Ma Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8203661 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature