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Multicenter Study
. 2021 Feb 1;63(2):98-103.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002039.

Impact of Heat Index and Ultraviolet Index on COVID-19 in Major Cities of Pakistan

Shahzada Adnan  1 , Muhammad Hanif, Azmat Hayat Khan, Muhammad Latif, Kalim Ullah, Furrukh Bashir, Shahzad Kamil, Sajjad Haider
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Impact of Heat Index and Ultraviolet Index on COVID-19 in Major Cities of Pakistan

Shahzada Adnan et al. J Occup Environ Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: The world population is under the grip of global pandemic of COVID-19. The present study analyzed relationship between meteorological parameters and COVID-19 in three major cities of Pakistan, that is, Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.

Methods: The impacts of heat index (HI) and ultraviolet index (UVI) over daily COVID-19 cases have examined to identify its transmission and propagation. The significance of basic reproductive number (R0), growth rate (Gr) and doubling time (Td) of COVID-19 with HI and UVI was determined.

Results: Both indices show a significant positive correlation (at 5% significance level) to R0, Td, and Gr of COVID-19 patients. Our results showed that the minimum threshold temperature of 33 °C for HI (with a positive variation of 3 °C to 5 °C) put a significant impact on new cases.

Conclusion: HI and UVI impacted significantly to decline COVID-19 cases over the region.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Geographical location and elevation of three cities of Pakistan.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Relationship between basic reproductive number (R0) and doubling time (Td) versus heat index (°C) at Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Relationship between basic reproductive number (R0) and doubling time (Td) versus UVI at Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Relationship of heat index (°C) and UVI versus growth rate at Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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