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Review
. 2021 Apr:20:100238.
doi: 10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100238. Epub 2021 Feb 20.

Seasonal variation and COVID-19 infection pattern: A gap from evidence to reality

Rehab A Rayan  1
Affiliations
Review

Seasonal variation and COVID-19 infection pattern: A gap from evidence to reality

Rehab A Rayan. Curr Opin Environ Sci Health. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

In December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was discovered in China, causing many cases and deaths. Several studies have explored the role of environmental factors in the spread of COVID-19, emphasizing the effect of two weather parameters, humidity and temperature. Those parameters are evidently vital in affecting outbreaks of infectious respiratory diseases, like influenza; yet, such an effect on COVID-19 remains controversial. This review explores the relation between the change in weather-related factors and the transmission of the COVID-19. With seasonal variation from winter to summer and in the absence of adopting thorough public health measures, elevated temperature and humidity might not limit the COVID-19 cases. Hence, we need multidisciplinary strategies and interventions to limit the burden of this pandemic over the healthcare systems.

Keywords: COVID-19; Humidity; Public health; Seasonal variation; Temperature; Transmission.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A model explains the sensitivity of the respiratory droplets to relative humidity and temperature and their association to COVID-19 [41].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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