Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention

Abstract Respiratory infectious diseases are highly influenced by climate and feature seasonality, whose peak is December to February in the Northern Hemisphere. SARS-CoV-2 produced consistent debate regarding the relationship between its emergence and weather conditions. Our study explored these co...

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Main Authors: Lucian Sfîcă, Mihai Bulai, Vlad-Alexandru Amihăesei, Constantin Ion, Marius Ștefan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2020-07-01
Series:Aerosol and Air Quality Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0206
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author Lucian Sfîcă
Mihai Bulai
Vlad-Alexandru Amihăesei
Constantin Ion
Marius Ștefan
author_facet Lucian Sfîcă
Mihai Bulai
Vlad-Alexandru Amihăesei
Constantin Ion
Marius Ștefan
author_sort Lucian Sfîcă
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Respiratory infectious diseases are highly influenced by climate and feature seasonality, whose peak is December to February in the Northern Hemisphere. SARS-CoV-2 produced consistent debate regarding the relationship between its emergence and weather conditions. Our study explored these conditions, expressed by three main parameters—ultraviolet radiation, air temperature and relative humidity—that characterized Hubei (China), the source region of COVID-19 pandemic, in November 2019–March 2020. During COVID-19 outbreak, the low amounts of UV radiation (down to –273 kJ m−2 in January 2020) were associated with the early stage environmental survival of the novel coronavirus. As well, this period was characterized by a high relative humidity during peak hours of the day, and a positive air temperature anomaly (+1.7°C in December 2019), which also favored the outdoor people mobility in winter. Based on Hubei analysis, a presumed optimal weather frame was set in order to identify other world regions with similar weather characteristics. In brief, the „Hubei weather profile” was recorded in those regions of COVID-19 outbreak in February 2020, such as northern Iran, Italy or Spain. Our results, which focused on the role of the UV solar radiation, could be used as a prediction tool for identifying the world regions with a higher risk of future faster increase in COVID-19 cases.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1680-8584
2071-1409
language English
publishDate 2020-07-01
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series Aerosol and Air Quality Research
spelling doaj-art-1332a4d395a84659898a015e81a62f1f2025-02-09T12:19:31ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092020-07-012091862187310.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0206Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future PreventionLucian Sfîcă0Mihai Bulai1Vlad-Alexandru Amihăesei2Constantin Ion3Marius Ștefan4Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, Faculty of Geography and GeologyAlexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, Faculty of Geography and GeologyAlexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, Faculty of Geography and GeologyAlexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, Faculty of BiologyAlexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, Faculty of BiologyAbstract Respiratory infectious diseases are highly influenced by climate and feature seasonality, whose peak is December to February in the Northern Hemisphere. SARS-CoV-2 produced consistent debate regarding the relationship between its emergence and weather conditions. Our study explored these conditions, expressed by three main parameters—ultraviolet radiation, air temperature and relative humidity—that characterized Hubei (China), the source region of COVID-19 pandemic, in November 2019–March 2020. During COVID-19 outbreak, the low amounts of UV radiation (down to –273 kJ m−2 in January 2020) were associated with the early stage environmental survival of the novel coronavirus. As well, this period was characterized by a high relative humidity during peak hours of the day, and a positive air temperature anomaly (+1.7°C in December 2019), which also favored the outdoor people mobility in winter. Based on Hubei analysis, a presumed optimal weather frame was set in order to identify other world regions with similar weather characteristics. In brief, the „Hubei weather profile” was recorded in those regions of COVID-19 outbreak in February 2020, such as northern Iran, Italy or Spain. Our results, which focused on the role of the UV solar radiation, could be used as a prediction tool for identifying the world regions with a higher risk of future faster increase in COVID-19 cases.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0206COVID-19UV radiationAir temperatureRelative humidityClimate change
spellingShingle Lucian Sfîcă
Mihai Bulai
Vlad-Alexandru Amihăesei
Constantin Ion
Marius Ștefan
Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention
Aerosol and Air Quality Research
COVID-19
UV radiation
Air temperature
Relative humidity
Climate change
title Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention
title_full Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention
title_fullStr Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention
title_full_unstemmed Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention
title_short Weather Conditions (with Focus on UV Radiation) Associated with COVID-19 Outbreak and Worldwide Climate-based Prediction for Future Prevention
title_sort weather conditions with focus on uv radiation associated with covid 19 outbreak and worldwide climate based prediction for future prevention
topic COVID-19
UV radiation
Air temperature
Relative humidity
Climate change
url https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0206
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