Investigating the effects of absolute humidity and movement on COVID-19 seasonality in the United States.

ABSTRACT: Mounting evidence suggests the primary mode of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is aerosolized transmission from close contact with infected individuals. While transmission is a direct result of human encounters, falling humidity may enhance aerosolized transmission risks similar to other respiratory viruses (e.g., influenza). Using Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, we assessed the relative effects of absolute humidity and changes in individual movement patterns on daily cases while accounting for regional differences in climatological regimes. Our results indicate that increasing humidity was associated with declining cases in the spring and summer of 2020, while decreasing humidity and increase in residential mobility during winter months likely caused increases in COVID-19 cases. The e

SUBMITTER: Lin G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9537426 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature