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Bandara S, Dapat C, Oishi W, Tsinda EK, Apostol LNG, Hirayama N, Saito M, Sano D. Identification of environmental, socioeconomic, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) factors associated with COVID-19 incidence in the Philippines: A nationwide modelling study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174214. [PMID: 38914343 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Despite the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains significant on a global scale. Identifying external factors contributing to its spread is crucial, especially given the World Health Organization's recommendation emphasizing access to water, sanitation, and hygiene as essential in curbing COVID-19. There is a notable discrepancy in access to sanitation facilities, particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries. However, there is a lack of quantitative assessments regarding these factors. This study examines various environmental, socioeconomic, water, sanitation, and hygiene factors and their associations with COVID-19 incidence. All regions in the Philippines were categorized into clusters based on socioeconomic factors. A conceptual structural equation model (SEM) was developed using domain knowledge. The best-fitting SEM for each cluster was determined, and associations between factors and COVID-19 incidence were estimated. The correlation analysis revealed that rainfall, minimum temperature, and relative humidity were positively correlated with weekly COVID-19 incidence in urban regions. Maximum temperature, mean temperature, wind speed, and wind direction were negatively correlated with weekly COVID-19 incidence in rural regions, with time lags of 0, 3, and 7 weeks. In urban regions (Cluster 1), factors such as urbanization rate (1.00), area (-0.93), and population (0.54) were found to be associated with weekly COVID-19 incidence. Conversely, in rural regions (Cluster 2), factors including area (0.17), basic sanitation (0.84), and wind direction (0.83) showed associations with weekly COVID-19 incidence. These factors were causally associated with a latent variable reflecting the hidden confounders associated with COVID-19 incidence. It is important to note that sanitation factors were associated only in rural regions. Improving access to sanitation facilities in rural regions of the Philippines is imperative to effectively mitigate disease transmission in future pandemics. Identification of the causal effect of unobserved confounders with COVID-19 incidence is recommended for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sewwandi Bandara
- Department of Frontier Science for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-06, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Clyde Dapat
- World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Influenza, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Wakana Oishi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-06, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Emmanuel Kagning Tsinda
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, Sinskey Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lea Necitas G Apostol
- Department of Virology, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
| | - Naoko Hirayama
- School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, Hikone, Shiga, Japan
| | - Mayuko Saito
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sano
- Department of Frontier Science for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-06, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-06, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.
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Grover EN, Buchwald AG, Ghosh D, Carlton EJ. Does behavior mediate the effect of weather on SARS-CoV-2 transmission? evidence from cell-phone data. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305323. [PMID: 38905199 PMCID: PMC11192350 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that weather alters SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but it remains unclear what drives the phenomenon. One prevailing hypothesis is that people spend more time indoors in cooler weather, leading to increased spread of SARS-CoV-2 related to time spent in confined spaces and close contact with others. However, the evidence in support of that hypothesis is limited and, at times, conflicting. We use a mediation framework, and combine daily weather, COVID-19 hospital surveillance, cellphone-based mobility data and building footprints to estimate the relationship between daily indoor and outdoor weather conditions, mobility, and COVID-19 hospitalizations. We quantify the direct health impacts of weather on COVID-19 hospitalizations and the indirect effects of weather via time spent indoors away-from-home on COVID-19 hospitalizations within five Colorado counties between March 4th 2020 and January 31st 2021. We also evaluated the evidence for seasonal effect modification by comparing the results of all-season (using season as a covariate) to season-stratified models. Four weather conditions were associated with both time spent indoors away-from-home and 12-day lagged COVID-19 hospital admissions in one or more season: high minimum temperature (all-season), low maximum temperature (spring), low minimum absolute humidity (winter), and high solar radiation (all-season & winter). In our mediation analyses, we found evidence that changes in 12-day lagged hospital admissions were primarily via the direct effects of weather conditions, rather than via indirect effects by which weather changes time spent indoors away-from-home. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that weather impacted SARS-CoV-2 transmission via changes in mobility patterns during the first year of the pandemic. Rather, weather appears to have impacted SARS-CoV-2 transmission primarily via mechanisms other than human movement. We recommend further analysis of this phenomenon to determine whether these findings generalize to current SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics, as well as other seasonal respiratory pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N. Grover
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andrea G. Buchwald
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Biostatistics & Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
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Yu PC, Sun AR, Xue C, Fang R. Outdoor Temperature as an Independent Risk Factor for Acute Pharyngitis Incidence: A Preliminary Study. EAR, NOSE & THROAT JOURNAL 2024; 103:NP368-NP373. [PMID: 34823378 DOI: 10.1177/01455613211057637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Acute pharyngitis is common worldwide. Meteorological changes contribute to respiratory infections. This study aims to explore the correlation between acute pharyngitis and meteorological parameters. Methods: We collected the monthly acute pharyngitis cases in our hospital and the meteorological data, including temperature, relative humidity, and air quality index (AQI) of Shanghai, China, from January, 2015, to December, 2017. Pearson correlation and multivariable regression analysis were used to explore the association between meteorological parameters and the monthly hospital visits. Results: A total of 8287 patients were included in this study, and the monthly number of hospital visits was 230.2 ± 39.0. The best air quality index was 46.4 and the worst was 113.2. Temperature ranged from 5.2°C to 32.0°C, and relative humidity ranged from 59.4% to 83.1%. The monthly hospital visits of acute pharyngitis were negatively correlated with temperature (r = -.558, 95% CI -.746, -.274) and relative humidity (r = -.480, 95% CI -.695, -.137). A decrease of 1°C could cause an increase in hospital visits by 1.9. No significant correlation was found were found between acute pharyngitis cases and AQI (P = .051, 95% CI -.005, .590). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed the temperature was the independent risk factor of acute pharyngitis (coefficient = -1.906, P = .022). Conclusion: Low temperature might cause an increased incidence of acute pharyngitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Cheng Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - An-Rong Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Xue
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Fang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Edwards AJ, King MF, López-García M, Peckham D, Noakes CJ. Assessing the effects of transient weather conditions on airborne transmission risk in naturally ventilated hospitals. J Hosp Infect 2024; 148:1-10. [PMID: 38447806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2024.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many UK hospitals rely heavily on natural ventilation as their main source of airflow in patient wards. This method of ventilation can have cost and energy benefits, but it may lead to unpredictable flow patterns between indoor spaces, potentially leading to the unexpected transport of infectious material to other connecting zones. However, the effects of weather conditions on airborne transmission are often overlooked. METHODS A multi-zone CONTAM model of a naturally ventilated hospital respiratory ward, incorporating time-varying weather, was proposed. Coupling this with an airborne infection model, this study assessed the variable risk in interconnected spaces, focusing particularly on occupancy, disease and ventilation scenarios based on a UK respiratory ward. RESULTS The results suggest that natural ventilation with varying weather conditions can cause irregularities in the ventilation rates and interzonal flow rates of connected zones, leading to infrequent but high peaks in the concentration of airborne pathogens in particular rooms. This transient behaviour increases the risk of airborne infection, particularly through movement of pathogens between rooms, and highlights that large outbreaks may be more likely under certain conditions. This study demonstrated how ventilation rates achieved by natural ventilation are likely to fall below the recommended guidance, and that the implementation of supplemental mechanical ventilation can increase ventilation rates and reduce the variability in infection risks. CONCLUSION This model emphasises the need for consideration of transient external conditions when assessing the risk of transmission of airborne infection in indoor environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Edwards
- EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Fluid Dynamics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - M-F King
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - D Peckham
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | - C J Noakes
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Wang W, Liu B, Tian Q, Xu X, Peng Y, Peng S. Predicting dust pollution from dry bulk ports in coastal cities: A hybrid approach based on data decomposition and deep learning. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 350:124053. [PMID: 38677458 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Dust pollution from storage and handling of materials in dry bulk ports seriously affects air quality and public health in coastal cities. Accurate prediction of dust pollution helps identify risks early and take preventive measures. However, there remain challenges in solving non-stationary time series and selecting relevant features. Besides, existing studies rarely consider impacts of port operations on dust pollution. Therefore, a hybrid approach based on data decomposition and deep learning is proposed to predict dust pollution from dry bulk ports. Port operational data is specially integrated into input features. A secondary decomposition and recombination (SDR) strategy is presented to reduce data non-stationarity. A dual-stage attention-based sequence-to-sequence (DA-Seq2Seq) model is employed to adaptively select the most relevant features at each time step, as well as capture long-term temporal dependencies. This approach is compared with baseline models on a dataset from a dry bulk port in northern China. The results reveal the advantages of SDR strategy and integrating operational data and show that this approach has higher accuracy than baseline models. The proposed approach can mitigate adverse effects of dust pollution from dry bulk ports on urban residents and help port authorities control dust pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Bochi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Qi Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xinglu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yun Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Shitao Peng
- Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering, Ministry of Transport, Tianjin, 300456, China.
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Lin WY, Lin HH, Chang SA, Chen Wang TC, Chen JC, Chen YS. Do Weather Conditions Still Have an Impact on the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Observation of the Mid-2022 COVID-19 Peak in Taiwan. Microorganisms 2024; 12:947. [PMID: 38792777 PMCID: PMC11123934 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12050947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the role of weather conditions in influencing transmission has been unclear, with results varying across different studies. Given the changes in border policies and the higher vaccination rates compared to earlier conditions, this study aimed to reassess the impact of weather on COVID-19, focusing on local climate effects. We analyzed daily COVID-19 case data and weather factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and a diurnal temperature range from 1 March to 15 August 2022 across six regions in Taiwan. This study found a positive correlation between maximum daily temperature and relative humidity with new COVID-19 cases, whereas wind speed and diurnal temperature range were negatively correlated. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was identified between the unease environmental condition factor (UECF, calculated as RH*Tmax/WS), the kind of Climate Factor Complex (CFC), and confirmed cases. The findings highlight the influence of local weather conditions on COVID-19 transmission, suggesting that such factors can alter environmental comfort and human behavior, thereby affecting disease spread. We also introduced the Fire-Qi Period concept to explain the cyclic climatic variations influencing infectious disease outbreaks globally. This study emphasizes the necessity of considering both local and global climatic effects on infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Yi Lin
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung 204201, Taiwan;
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333323, Taiwan; (H.-H.L.); (S.-A.C.)
- Taiwan Huangdi-Neijing Medical Practice Association (THMPA), Taoyuan 330032, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Hsuan Lin
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333323, Taiwan; (H.-H.L.); (S.-A.C.)
- Taiwan Huangdi-Neijing Medical Practice Association (THMPA), Taoyuan 330032, Taiwan
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333008, Taiwan
| | - Shih-An Chang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333323, Taiwan; (H.-H.L.); (S.-A.C.)
- Taiwan Huangdi-Neijing Medical Practice Association (THMPA), Taoyuan 330032, Taiwan
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333008, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Chi Chen Wang
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan 320317, Taiwan;
| | - Juei-Chao Chen
- Department of Statistics and Information Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan;
| | - Yu-Sheng Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333323, Taiwan; (H.-H.L.); (S.-A.C.)
- Taiwan Huangdi-Neijing Medical Practice Association (THMPA), Taoyuan 330032, Taiwan
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333008, Taiwan
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Grover EN, Buchwald AG, Ghosh D, Carlton EJ. Does behavior mediate the effect of weather on SARS-CoV-2 transmission? Evidence from cell-phone data. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.03.26.24304854. [PMID: 38585859 PMCID: PMC10996765 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.26.24304854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Background There is growing evidence that weather alters SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but it remains unclear what drives the phenomenon. One prevailing hypothesis is that people spend more time indoors in cooler weather, leading to increased spread of SARS-CoV-2 related to time spent in confined spaces and close contact with others. However, the evidence in support of that hypothesis is limited and, at times, conflicting. Objectives We aim to evaluate the extent to which weather impacts COVID-19 via time spent away-from-home in indoor spaces, as compared to a direct effect of weather on COVID-19 hospitalization, independent of mobility. Methods We use a mediation framework, and combine daily weather, COVID-19 hospital surveillance, cellphone-based mobility data and building footprints to estimate the relationship between daily indoor and outdoor weather conditions, mobility, and COVID-19 hospitalizations. We quantify the direct health impacts of weather on COVID-19 hospitalizations and the indirect effects of weather via time spent indoors away-from-home on COVID-19 hospitalizations within five Colorado counties between March 4th 2020 and January 31st 2021. Results We found evidence that changes in 12-day lagged hospital admissions were primarily via the direct effects of weather conditions, rather than via indirect effects by which weather changes time spent indoors away-from-home. Sensitivity analyses evaluating time at home as a mediator were consistent with these conclusions. Discussion Our findings do not support the hypothesis that weather impacted SARS-CoV-2 transmission via changes in mobility patterns during the first year of the pandemic. Rather, weather appears to have impacted SARS-CoV-2 transmission primarily via mechanisms other than human movement. We recommend further analysis of this phenomenon to determine whether these findings generalize to current SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and other seasonal respiratory pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N. Grover
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Andrea G. Buchwald
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Biostatistics & Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
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Deji Z, Tong Y, Huang H, Zhang Z, Fang M, Crabbe MJC, Zhang X, Wang Y. Influence of Environmental Factors and Genome Diversity on Cumulative COVID-19 Cases in the Highland Region of China: Comparative Correlational Study. Interact J Med Res 2024; 13:e43585. [PMID: 38526532 DOI: 10.2196/43585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused the global COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging reports support lower mortality and reduced case numbers in highland areas; however, comparative studies on the cumulative impact of environmental factors and viral genetic diversity on COVID-19 infection rates have not been performed to date. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to determine the difference in COVID-19 infection rates between high and low altitudes, and to explore whether the difference in the pandemic trend in the high-altitude region of China compared to that of the lowlands is influenced by environmental factors, population density, and biological mechanisms. METHODS We examined the correlation between population density and COVID-19 cases through linear regression. A zero-shot model was applied to identify possible factors correlated to COVID-19 infection. We further analyzed the correlation of meteorological and air quality factors with infection cases using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Mixed-effects multiple linear regression was applied to evaluate the associations between selected factors and COVID-19 cases adjusting for covariates. Lastly, the relationship between environmental factors and mutation frequency was evaluated using the same correlation techniques mentioned above. RESULTS Among the 24,826 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported from 40 cities in China from January 23, 2020, to July 7, 2022, 98.4% (n=24,430) were found in the lowlands. Population density was positively correlated with COVID-19 cases in all regions (ρ=0.641, P=.003). In high-altitude areas, the number of COVID-19 cases was negatively associated with temperature, sunlight hours, and UV index (P=.003, P=.001, and P=.009, respectively) and was positively associated with wind speed (ρ=0.388, P<.001), whereas no correlation was found between meteorological factors and COVID-19 cases in the lowlands. After controlling for covariates, the mixed-effects model also showed positive associations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) with COVID-19 cases (P=.002 and P<.001, respectively). Sequence variant analysis showed lower genetic diversity among nucleotides for each SARS-CoV-2 genome (P<.001) and three open reading frames (P<.001) in high altitudes compared to 300 sequences analyzed from low altitudes. Moreover, the frequencies of 44 nonsynonymous mutations and 32 synonymous mutations were significantly different between the high- and low-altitude groups (P<.001, mutation frequency>0.1). Key nonsynonymous mutations showed positive correlations with altitude, wind speed, and air pressure and showed negative correlations with temperature, UV index, and sunlight hours. CONCLUSIONS By comparison with the lowlands, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was substantially lower in high-altitude regions of China, and the population density, temperature, sunlight hours, UV index, wind speed, PM2.5, and CO influenced the cumulative pandemic trend in the highlands. The identified influence of environmental factors on SARS-CoV-2 sequence variants adds knowledge of the impact of altitude on COVID-19 infection, offering novel suggestions for preventive intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoga Deji
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Information School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Yuantao Tong
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Honglian Huang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine Center, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Fang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - M James C Crabbe
- Wolfson College, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Science & Technology, University of Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, Shanxi University, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine Center, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Maleki A, Aboubakri O, Rezaee R, Alahmad B, Sera F. Seasonal variation of Covid-19 incidence and role of land surface and air temperatures: a case study in the west of Iran. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:1342-1354. [PMID: 36998230 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2023.2196057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
.In this study, we assessed the impact of satellite-based Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Air Temperature (AT) on covid-19. First, we spatio-temporally kriged the LST and applied bias correction. The epidemic shape, timing, and size were compared after and before adjusting for the predictors. Given the non-linear behavior of a pandemic, a semi-parametric regression model was used. In addition, the interaction effect between the predictors and season was assessed. Before adjusting for the predictors, the peak happened at the end of hot season. After adjusting, it was attenuated and slightly moved forward. Moreover, the Attributable Fraction (AF) and Peak to Trough Relative (PTR) were % 23 (95% CI; 15, 32) and 1.62 (95%CI; 1.34, 1.97), respectively. We found that temperature might have changed the seasonal variation of covid-19. However, given the large uncertainty after adjusting for the variables, it was hard to provide conclusive evidence in the region we studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afshin Maleki
- Green Technology and Sustainable Development in Construction Research Group, School of Engineering and Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Environment, School of Engineering and Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Omid Aboubakri
- Environmental Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Reza Rezaee
- Environmental Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Barrak Alahmad
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Environmental and Occupational Health Department, College of Public Health, Kuwait University, Kuwait, Kuwait
| | - Francesco Sera
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications 'G.Parenti', University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Rybarczyk Y, Zalakeviciute R, Ortiz-Prado E. Causal effect of air pollution and meteorology on the COVID-19 pandemic: A convergent cross mapping approach. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25134. [PMID: 38322928 PMCID: PMC10844283 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors have been suspected to influence the propagation and lethality of COVID-19 in the global population. However, most of the studies have been limited to correlation analyses and did not use specific methods to address the dynamic of the causal relationship between the virus and its external drivers. This work focuses on inferring and understanding the causal effect of critical air pollutants and meteorological parameters on COVID-19 by using an Empirical Dynamic Modeling approach called Convergent Cross Mapping. This technique allowed us to identify the time-delayed causation and the sign of interactions. Considering its remarkable urban environment and mortality rate during the pandemic, Quito, Ecuador, was chosen as a case study. Our results show that both urban air pollution and meteorology have a causal impact on COVID-19. Even if the strength and the sign of the causality vary over time, a general trend can be drawn. NO2, SO2, CO and PM2.5 have a positive causation for COVID-19 infections (ρ > 0.35 and ∂ > 9.1). Contrary to current knowledge, this study shows a rapid effect of pollution on COVID-19 cases (1 < lag days <24) and a negative impact of O3 on COVID-19-related deaths (ρ = 0.53 and ∂ = -0.3). Regarding the meteorology, temperature (ρ = 0.24 and ∂ = -0.4) and wind speed (ρ = 0.34 and ∂ = -3.9) tend to mitigate the epidemiological consequences of SARS-CoV-2, whereas relative humidity seems to increase the excess deaths (ρ = 0.4 and ∂ = 0.05). A causal network is proposed to synthesize the interactions between the studied variables and to provide a simple model to support the management of coronavirus outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Rybarczyk
- School of Information and Engineering, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
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Vandelli V, Palandri L, Coratza P, Rizzi C, Ghinoi A, Righi E, Soldati M. Conditioning factors in the spreading of Covid-19 - Does geography matter? Heliyon 2024; 10:e25810. [PMID: 38356610 PMCID: PMC10865316 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
There is evidence in literature that the spread of COVID-19 can be influenced by various geographic factors, including territorial features, climate, population density, socioeconomic conditions, and mobility. The objective of the paper is to provide an updated literature review on geographical studies analysing the factors which influenced COVID-19 spreading. This literature review took into account not only the geographical aspects but also the COVID-19-related outcomes (infections and deaths) allowing to discern the potential influencing role of the geographic factors per type of outcome. A total of 112 scientific articles were selected, reviewed and categorized according to subject area, aim, country/region of study, considered geographic and COVID-19 variables, spatial and temporal units of analysis, methodologies, and main findings. Our literature review showed that territorial features may have played a role in determining the uneven geography of COVID-19; for instance, a certain agreement was found regarding the direct relationship between urbanization degree and COVID-19 infections. For what concerns climatic factors, temperature was the variable that correlated the best with COVID-19 infections. Together with climatic factors, socio-demographic ones were extensively taken into account. Most of the analysed studies agreed that population density and human mobility had a significant and direct relationship with COVID-19 infections and deaths. The analysis of the different approaches used to investigate the role of geographic factors in the spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that the significance/representativeness of the outputs is influenced by the scale considered due to the great spatial variability of geographic aspects. In fact, a more robust and significant association between geographic factors and COVID-19 was found by studies conducted at subnational or local scale rather than at country scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Vandelli
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Lucia Palandri
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Paola Coratza
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Cristiana Rizzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ghinoi
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Righi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Mauro Soldati
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
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12
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Binesh F, Baloglu S. Are we ready for hotel robots after the pandemic? A profile analysis. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2023; 147:107854. [PMID: 37389284 PMCID: PMC10291269 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2023.107854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has changed many aspects of the hospitality and tourism industry, including technology-oriented and contactless solutions. Despite the increasing number of service companies using robots on their premises, most of the previous attempts and practices of adoption have remained unsuccessful. Prior research hints that socioeconomic factors could influence the successful adoption of these emerging technologies. Nevertheless, these studies ignore the role of profile factors and assume a homogenous response to using robots in service operations during the pandemic. Based on the theory of diffusion of innovation and a sample of 525 participants, this study investigates the differences in customers' attitudes, their level of involvement, and optimism for service robots as well as their intentions to use service robots in the five main areas of hotel operations (front desk, concierge, housekeeping, room service, and food and beverage) based on five profile factors (age, gender, income level, education, and purpose of trip). MANOVA tests show significant differences in all variables based on demographic factors; male, younger, more educated, higher income, and leisure travelers show more positive attitudes, higher involvement, optimism, and intention to use service robots across various hotel departments. In particular, mean scores were found to be smaller for the traditionally human-oriented functional areas of the hotel operations. We also clustered the participants based on their level of comfort and optimism about using service robots in hotels. Given the rapid changes in the service industry and the increasing adoption of service robots, this paper adds a much-needed contribution to the ongoing research on service robots in the service industry by investigating the impact of profile factors on guests' behavior towards service robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Binesh
- University of Florida, Department of Tourism, Health, and Event Management (THEM), PO Box 118209 Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Seyhmus Baloglu
- University of Nevada Las Vegas, William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, Box 456021 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV 89154-6021, USA
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13
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Sangkham S, Islam MA, Sarndhong K, Vongruang P, Hasan MN, Tiwari A, Bhattacharya P. Effects of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and meteorological factors on the daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bangkok during 2020-2021, Thailand. CASE STUDIES IN CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2023; 8:100410. [PMID: 38620170 PMCID: PMC10286573 DOI: 10.1016/j.cscee.2023.100410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The ongoing global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as COVID-19, has disrupted public health, businesses, and economies worldwide due to its widespread transmission. While previous research has suggested a possible link between environmental factors and increased COVID-19 cases, the evidence regarding this connection remains inconclusive. The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not there is a connection between the presence of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and meteorological conditions and COVID-19 infection rates in Bangkok, Thailand. The study employs a statistical method called Generalized Additive Model (GAM) to find a positive and non-linear association between RH, AH, and R and the number of verified COVID-19 cases. The impacts of the seasons (especially summer) and rainfall on the trajectory of COVID-19 cases were also highlighted, with an adjusted R-square of 0.852 and a deviance explained of 85.60%, both of which were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The study results assist in preventing the future seasonal spread of COVID-19, and public health authorities may use these findings to make informed decisions and assess their policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarawut Sangkham
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000, Thailand
| | - Md Aminul Islam
- COVID-19 Diagnostic Lab, Department of Microbiology, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814, Bangladesh
- Advanced Molecular Lab, Department of Microbiology, President Abdul Hamid Medical College, Karimganj, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh
| | - Kritsada Sarndhong
- Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000, Thailand
| | - Patipat Vongruang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000, Thailand
- Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Energy and Environment, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000, Thailand
| | - Mohammad Nayeem Hasan
- Department of Statistics, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Ananda Tiwari
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 70701, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Prosun Bhattacharya
- COVID-19 Research, Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 10B, SE, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden
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14
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Sin CH, Jon KS, Un GH, Thae YI, Kim H, Tokgo J, Ri HM. Evaluation of the ventilation and pollutant exposure risk level inside 3D street canyon with void deck under different wind directions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:61808-61828. [PMID: 36932308 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26287-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
With continuous global warming, growing urban population density, and increasing compactness of urban buildings, VD (void deck) street design has become increasingly popular in city planning, especially in tropical countries. However, understanding on traffic pollutant dispersion inside the street canyons with VDs is still at early stage. This paper evaluates quantitatively the effects of VD location and wind direction on the ventilation and traffic pollutant exposure inside the street canyon with VDs. The results show that under seven wind directions (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°), the VD provides higher ACH than that of the regular canyon, especially at high α (angle between the approaching wind and the canyon axis). Also, mean K (dimensionless pollutant concentration) values of the canyon wall and pedestrian respiration plane on one side where VD is located are significantly reduced compared to the regular canyon. Therefore, when VDs are at both buildings, both pedestrian respiration planes and walls have the lowest K values, thus providing the best living environment for pedestrians and near-road residents. In addition, as α increases, the K values on both respiration planes significantly decrease except for the leeward respiration plane of the canyon with the windward VD. These findings can help to design urban street canyons for mitigating traffic pollution risk and improving ventilation in tropical cities with frequently changing wind directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung Hyok Sin
- Faculty of Physics, Kim Il Sung University, Taesong District, 999093, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
| | - Kwang Song Jon
- School of Metallic Engineering, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Central District, Pyongyang, 999093, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Gyong Ho Un
- Faculty of Physics, Kim Il Sung University, Taesong District, 999093, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Il Thae
- Faculty of Physics, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Central District, 999093, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Kim
- Faculty of Physics, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Central District, 999093, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Tokgo
- Department of Construction Engineering, Pyongyang University of Architecture, Taedonggang District, Pyongyang, 999093, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Hyon Mu Ri
- Faculty of Physics, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Central District, 999093, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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15
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Peculiar weather patterns effects on air pollution and COVID-19 spread in Tokyo metropolis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 228:115907. [PMID: 37080275 PMCID: PMC10111861 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
As a pandemic hotspot in Japan, between March 1, 2020-October 1, 2022, Tokyo metropolis experienced seven COVID-19 waves. Motivated by the high rate of COVID-19 incidence and mortality during the seventh wave, and environmental/health challenges we conducted a time-series analysis to investigate the long-term interaction of air quality and climate variability with viral pandemic in Tokyo. Through daily time series geospatial and observational air pollution/climate data, and COVID-19 incidence and death cases, this study compared the environmental conditions during COVID-19 multiwaves. In spite of five State of Emergency (SOEs) restrictions associated with COVID-19 pandemic, during (2020-2022) period air quality recorded low improvements relative to (2015-2019) average annual values, namely: Aerosol Optical Depth increased by 9.13% in 2020 year, and declined by 6.64% in 2021, and 12.03% in 2022; particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 decreased during 2020, 2021, and 2022 years by 10.22%, 62.26%, 0.39%, and respectively by 4.42%, 3.95%, 5.76%. For (2021-2022) period the average ratio of PM2.5/PM10 was (0.319 ± 0.1640), showing a higher contribution to aerosol loading of traffic-related coarse particles in comparison with fine particles. The highest rates of the daily recorded COVID-19 incidence and death cases in Tokyo during the seventh COVID-19 wave (1 July 2022-1 October 2022) may be attributed to accumulation near the ground of high levels of air pollutants and viral pathogens due to: 1) peculiar persistent atmospheric anticyclonic circulation with strong positive anomalies of geopotential height at 500 hPa; 2) lower levels of Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) heights; 3) high daily maximum air temperature and land surface temperature due to the prolonged heat waves (HWs) in summer 2022; 4) no imposed restrictions. Such findings can guide public decision-makers to design proper strategies to curb pandemics under persistent stable anticyclonic weather conditions and summer HWs in large metropolitan areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- IT Department, National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Atomistilor Street 409, MG5, Magurele-Bucharest, 077125, Romania
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16
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Sin CH, Cui PY, Jon KS, Luo Y, Shen JW, Huang YD. Evaluation on ventilation and traffic pollutant dispersion in asymmetric street canyons with void decks. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2023; 16:817-839. [PMID: 36819790 PMCID: PMC9923669 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-023-01314-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
With continuous global warming, growing urban population density, and increasing compactness of urban buildings, the "void deck" street canyon design has become increasingly popular in city planning, especially for urban streets located in tropical areas. Nevertheless, research on traffic pollutant dispersion in street canyons with void decks (VDs) is still at its early stage. This study quantitatively evaluates the effects of void deck height and location on the canyon ventilation and pollutant dispersion in asymmetric street canyons with void decks, and the pollutant exposure risk level for pedestrians and street dwellers. Void decks introduce more fresh air, thereby greatly improving the ventilation properties of the asymmetric canyon. The air exchange rate (ACH: 147.9%, 270.9%) and net escape velocity (NEV*: 416.7%, 915.8%) of the step-up and step-down canyons with VDs (3 m high at full scale) at both buildings are higher than those of regular asymmetric canyons. Moreover, the mean dimensionless pollutant concentration (K) on the building wall and pedestrian respiration plane in which VDs are located stands at a low level, because pollutants are removed by the airflow entering or exiting through the void decks. Increased VD height (4.5 m at full scale) enhances the strength of airflow flowing into and out of the canyon, significantly increasing ACH (177.3%, 380.9%) and NEV* (595.2%, 1268.4%) and decreasing the mean K on both pedestrian respiration planes and canyon walls. In particular, the K values on both pedestrian respiration planes and both walls are almost zero for the canyons with VDs at both buildings. Therefore, among the three VD locations, both VDs provide the best living environment for pedestrians and near-road residents. These findings can help to design urban street canyons for mitigating traffic pollution risk and improving ventilation in tropical cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung Hyok Sin
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Yangpu District, No. 516, Jungong Road, Shanghai, China
- Natural Science Center, Democratic People’s, Kim Il Sung University, Taesong District, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
| | - Peng-Yi Cui
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Yangpu District, No. 516, Jungong Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Kwang Song Jon
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Yangpu District, No. 516, Jungong Road, Shanghai, China
- School of Metallic Engineering Central District Democratic People’s, Kim Chek University of Technology, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
| | - Yang Luo
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Yangpu District, No. 516, Jungong Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiao-Wen Shen
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Yangpu District, No. 516, Jungong Road, Shanghai, China
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai, 201209 China
| | - Yuan-dong Huang
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Yangpu District, No. 516, Jungong Road, Shanghai, China
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17
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Parvin R. A Statistical Investigation into the COVID-19 Outbreak Spread. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2023; 17:11786302221147455. [PMID: 36699646 PMCID: PMC9868487 DOI: 10.1177/11786302221147455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) outbreaks have been reported in a range of climates worldwide, including Bangladesh. There is less evidence of a link between the COVID-19 pandemic and climatic variables. This research article's purpose is to examine the relationship between COVID-19 outbreaks and climatic factors in Dhaka, Bangladesh. METHODS The daily time series COVID-19 data used in this study span from May 1, 2020, to April 14, 2021, for the study area, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Climatic factors included in this study were average temperature, particulate matter ( P M 2 . 5 ), humidity, carbon emissions, and wind speed within the same timeframe and location. The strength and direction of the relationship between meteorological factors and COVID-19 positive cases are examined using the Spearman correlation. This study examines the asymmetric effect of climatic factors on the COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka, Bangladesh, using the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model. RESULTS COVID-19 widespread has a substantial positive association with wind speed (r = .781), temperature (r = .599), and carbon emissions (r = .309), whereas P M 2 . 5 (r = -.178) has a negative relationship at the 1% level of significance. Furthermore, with a 1% change in temperature, the incidence of COVID-19 increased by 1.23% in the short run and 1.53% in the long run, with the remaining variables remaining constant. Similarly, in the short-term, humidity was not significantly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the long term, it increased 1.13% because of a 1% change in humidity. The changes in PM2.5 level and wind speed are significantly associated with COVID-19 new cases after adjusting population density and the human development index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rehana Parvin
- Rehana Parvin, Department of Statistics, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT), 4 Embankment Drive Road, Sector 10, Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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18
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Zhai G, Qi J, Zhou W, Wang J. The non-linear and interactive effects of meteorological factors on the transmission of COVID-19: A panel smooth transition regression model for cities across the globe. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION : IJDRR 2023; 84:103478. [PMID: 36505181 PMCID: PMC9721135 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic created by COVID-19 has co-existed with humans for some time now, thus resulting in unprecedented disease burden. Previous studies have demonstrated the non-linear and single effects of meteorological factors on viral transmission and have a question of how to exclude the influence of unrelated confounding factors on the relationship. However, the interactions involved in such relationships remain unclear under complex weather conditions. Here, we used a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model to investigate the non-linear interactive impact of meteorological factors on daily new cases of COVID-19 based on a panel dataset of 58 global cities observed between Jul 1, 2020 and Jan 13, 2022. This new approach offers a possibility of assessing interactive effects of meteorological factors on daily new cases and uses fixed effects to control other unrelated confounding factors in a panel of cities. Our findings revealed that an optimal temperature range (0°C-20 °C) for the spread of COVID-19. The effect of RH (relative humidity) and DTR (diurnal temperature range) on infection became less positive (coefficient: 0.0427 to -0.0142; p < 0.05) and negative (coefficient: -0.0496 to -0.0248; p < 0.05) with increasing average temperature(T). The highest risk of infection occurred when the temperature was -10 °C and RH was >80% or when the temperature was 10 °C and DTR was 1 °C. Our findings highlight useful implications for policymakers and the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyu Zhai
- School of Economics and Management, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Jintao Qi
- School of Economics and Management, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Wenjuan Zhou
- Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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19
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Chowdhury T, Chowdhury H, Bontempi E, Coccia M, Masrur H, Sait SM, Senjyu T. Are mega-events super spreaders of infectious diseases similar to COVID-19? A look into Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics to improve preparedness of next international events. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:10099-10109. [PMID: 36066799 PMCID: PMC9446650 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22660-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics have raised social issues regarding the potential rise in COVID-19 cases in Japan and risks associated with the safe organization of mega sporting events during the pandemic, such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This study investigates the Tokyo Summer Olympics as a unique case study to clarify the drivers of infectivity and provide guidelines to host countries for the safe organization of subsequent international sporting events. The result here reveals that Tokyo and Japan did not experience a rise in confirmed cases of COVID-19 due to the hosting of the Summer Olympics. Still, transmission dynamics seems to be mainly driven by the high density of population (about 1.2%, p-value <0.001) like other larger cities in Japan (result confirmed with Mann-Whitney U test, significance at 0.05). Our study provided evidence that hosting mega sporting events during this COVID-19 pandemic is safe if strictly maintained the precautions with non-pharmaceutical (and pharmaceutical) measures of control of infections. The Tokyo Summer Olympics hosting will be exemplary for next international events due to the successful implementation of preventive measures during COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamal Chowdhury
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Chattogram, 4349, Bangladesh
| | - Hemal Chowdhury
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Chattogram, 4349, Bangladesh.
| | - Elza Bontempi
- INSTM and Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, Brescia, 25123, Italy
| | - Mario Coccia
- CNR -- National Research Council of Italy, Via Real Collegio, N. 30, (Collegio Carlo Alberto), 10024, Moncalieri, TO, Italy
| | - Hasan Masrur
- Graduate School of Science & Engineering, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
| | - Sadiq M Sait
- King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tomonobu Senjyu
- Graduate School of Science & Engineering, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
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20
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Moazeni M, Rahimi M, Ebrahimi A. What are the Effects of Climate Variables on COVID-19 Pandemic? A Systematic Review and Current Update. Adv Biomed Res 2023; 12:33. [PMID: 37057247 PMCID: PMC10086649 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_145_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The climatological parameters can be different in various geographical locations. Moreover, they have possible impacts on COVID-19 incidence. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review article was to describe the effects of climatic variables on COVID-19 pandemic in different countries. Systematic literature search was performed in Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and PubMed databases using ("Climate" OR "Climate Change" OR "Global Warming" OR "Global Climate Change" OR "Meteorological Parameters" OR "Temperature" OR "Precipitation" OR "Relative Humidity" OR "Wind Speed" OR "Sunshine" OR "Climate Extremes" OR "Weather Extremes") AND ("COVID" OR "Coronavirus disease 2019" OR "COVID-19" OR "SARS-CoV-2" OR "Novel Coronavirus") keywords. From 5229 articles, 424 were screened and 149 were selected for further analysis. The relationship between meteorological parameters is variable in different geographical locations. The results indicate that among the climatic indicators, the temperature is the most significant factor that influences on COVID-19 pandemic in most countries. Some studies were proved that warm and wet climates can decrease COVID-19 incidence; however, the other studies represented that warm location can be a high risk of COVID-19 incidence. It could be suggested that all climate variables such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, precipitation, solar radiation, ultraviolet index, and wind speed could cause spread of COVID-19. Thus, it is recommended that future studies will survey the role of all meteorological variables and interaction between them on COVID-19 spread in specific small areas such as cities of each country and comparison between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malihe Moazeni
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahimi
- Department of Combat Desertification, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
| | - Afshin Ebrahimi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Address for correspondence: Dr. Afshin Ebrahimi, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Hezar-Jerib Ave., Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, 81676 − 36954, Iran. E-mail:
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21
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Suligowski R, Ciupa T. Five waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and green-blue spaces in urban and rural areas in Poland. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114662. [PMID: 36374652 PMCID: PMC9617687 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Several waves of COVID-19 caused by different SARS-CoV-2 variants have been recorded worldwide. During this period, many publications were released describing the influence of various factors, such as environmental, social and economic factors, on the spread of COVID-19. This paper presents the results of a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of the course of COVID-19 cases and deaths in five waves in Poland in relation to green‒blue spaces. The results, based on 380 counties, reveal that the negative correlation between the indicator of green‒blue space per inhabitant and the average daily number of COVID-19 cases and deaths was clearly visible during all waves. These relationships were described by a power equation (coefficient of determination ranging from 0.83 to 0.88) with a high level of significance. The second important discovery was the fact that the rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths were significantly higher in urban counties (low values of the green-blue space indicator in m2/people) than in rural areas. The developed models can be used in decision-making by local government authorities to organize anti-COVID-19 prevention measures, including local lockdowns, especially in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Suligowski
- Institute of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland.
| | - Tadeusz Ciupa
- Institute of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland.
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22
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Mao N, Zhang D, Li Y, Li Y, Li J, Zhao L, Wang Q, Cheng Z, Zhang Y, Long E. How do temperature, humidity, and air saturation state affect the COVID-19 transmission risk? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:3644-3658. [PMID: 35951241 PMCID: PMC9366825 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21766-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental parameters have a significant impact on the spread of respiratory viral diseases (temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and air saturation state). T and RH are strongly correlated with viral inactivation in the air, whereas supersaturated air can promote droplet deposition in the respiratory tract. This study introduces a new concept, the dynamic virus deposition ratio (α), that reflects the dynamic changes in viral inactivation and droplet deposition under varying ambient environments. A non-steady-state-modified Wells-Riley model is established to predict the infection risk of shared air space and highlight the high-risk environmental conditions. Findings reveal that a rise in T would significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in the cold season, while the effect is not significant in the hot season. The infection risk under low-T and high-RH conditions, such as the frozen seafood market, is substantially underestimated, which should be taken seriously. The study encourages selected containment measures against high-risk environmental conditions and cross-discipline management in the public health crisis based on meteorology, government, and medical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Mao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, Institute of Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dingkun Zhang
- Laboratory of Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, Institutes for Systems Genetics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yupei Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, Institute of Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Li
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Li
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Zhao
- China Academy of Building Research, Beijing, China
| | - Qingqin Wang
- China Academy of Building Research, Beijing, China
| | - Zhu Cheng
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yin Zhang
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Enshen Long
- MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, Institute of Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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23
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Mehta SK, Ananthavel A, Reddy TVR, Ali S, Mehta SB, Kakkanattu SP, Purushotham P, Betsy KB. Indirect Response of the Temperature, Humidity, and Rainfall on the Spread of COVID-19 over the Indian Monsoon Region. PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS 2022; 180:383-404. [PMID: 36590883 PMCID: PMC9792162 DOI: 10.1007/s00024-022-03205-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This article examines the role of the meteorological variable in the spread of the ongoing pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across India. COVID-19 has created an unprecedented situation for public health and brought the world to a standstill. COVID-19 had caused more than 1,523,242 deaths out of 66,183,029 confirmed cases worldwide till the first week of December 2020. We have examined the surface temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall over five cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Chennai, which were severely affected by COVID-19. It is found that the prevailing southwest (SW) monsoon during the pandemic has acted as a natural sanitizer in limiting the spread of the virus. The mean rainfall is ~ 20-40 mm over the selected cities, resulting in an average decrease in COVID cases by ~ 18-26% for the next 3 days after the rainfall. The day-to-day variations of the meteorological parameters and COVID-19 cases clearly demonstrate that both surface temperature and relative humidity play a vital role in the indirect transport of the virus. Our analysis reveals that most COVID-19 cases fall within the surface temperature range from 24 to 30 °C and relative humidity range from 50% to 80%. At a given temperature, COVID-19 cases show a large dependency on the relative humidity; therefore, the coastal environments were more prone to infections. Wavelet transforms coherence analysis of the daily COVID-19 cases with temperature and relative humidity reveals a significant coherence within 8 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar Mehta
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Aravindhavel Ananthavel
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, India
| | - T. V. Ramesh Reddy
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Saleem Ali
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Shyam Bihari Mehta
- Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science, Bose Institute, Kolkata, 700091 India
| | - Sachin Philip Kakkanattu
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Pooja Purushotham
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
| | - K. B. Betsy
- Atmospheric Observations and Modelling Laboratory (AOML), Department of Physics, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203 Tamil Nadu India
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Sin CH, Luo Y, Jon KS, Cui PY, Huang YD. Effects of void deck on the airflow and pollutant dispersion in 3D street canyons. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:89358-89386. [PMID: 35851936 PMCID: PMC9294829 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21827-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In general, urban canyons are the areas most clearly affected by traffic pollutants since the ability of the canyon to self-ventilate is inhibited due to blockage of buildings or other urban structures. However, previous studies have aimed to improve the pedestrian-level wind speed with void deck in single buildings or short canyons. This study investigated the effects of void deck height and location, and the building height on the airflow field and the traffic pollutant diffusion in a long canyon with L/H = 10, validated by wind-tunnel experiment data. The results show that the void decks have a significant effect on the airflow and pollutant distribution inside the canyon. Air exchange rates (ACH) of the canyons with the void deck are much larger than that of regular canyons, and the perturbation changes of turbulence (ACH') decrease. For the windward void deck, purging flow rate (PFR) and normalized net escape velocity (NEV*) increase by 6.4 times compared to the regular canyon, and for the leeward void deck, increase by 13 times. In particular, when the void decks are at both buildings, they are increased by 38.3 times. Also, for the canyons with the void deck, traffic pollutants are removed out of the canyon by the strong airflow through the void deck. Therefore, unlike the regular canyons, as the void deck and the building height increases, the strength of the airflow through the void deck becomes stronger, and as a result, the mean pollutant concentration is significantly reduced at both walls and the pedestrian respiration level. The mean pollutant concentration on the wall of the building with the void deck and on the pedestrian respiration plane close to it is near zero. These findings can help ease traffic pollution inside the street canyons composed of high-rise buildings, especially in tropical cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung Hyok Sin
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, No.516, Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200093, China
- Natural Science Center, Kim Il Sung University, Taesong District, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Yang Luo
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, No.516, Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Kwang Song Jon
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, No.516, Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Peng-Yi Cui
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, No.516, Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Yuan-Dong Huang
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, No.516, Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200093, China.
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25
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Chang SA, Kuan CH, Hung CY, Wang TCC, Chen YS. The outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan in late spring 2021: combinations of specific weather conditions and related factors. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:85669-85675. [PMID: 34669130 PMCID: PMC8526532 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17055-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of weather conditions on the daily incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic in late spring 2021 in Taiwan, which is unlike the weather conditions of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Meteorological parameters such as maximum daily temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were included. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to evaluate the relationship between weather and daily domestic COVID-19 cases. The maximum daily temperature had a positively significant correlation with daily new COVID-19 cases within a 14-day lag period, while the relative humidity and wind speed has a fairly high correlation with the number of daily cases within a 13- and 14-day lag, respectively. In addition, the weather characteristics during this period were an increasingly high temperature, with steady high relative humidity and slightly decreasing wind speed. Our study revealed the weather conditions at the time of the domestic outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan in May 2021 and the possible association between weather factors and the COVID-19 pandemic. Further large-scale analysis of weather factors is essential for understanding the impact of weather on the spread of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-An Chang
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsuan Kuan
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Yen Hung
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Chi Chen Wang
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sheng Chen
- Department of Chinese Acupuncture and Traumatology, Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Taiwan Huangdi‑Neijing Medical Practice Association (THMPA), Taoyuan, Taiwan
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26
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Meskher H, Belhaouari SB, Thakur AK, Sathyamurthy R, Singh P, Khelfaoui I, Saidur R. A review about COVID-19 in the MENA region: environmental concerns and machine learning applications. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:82709-82728. [PMID: 36223015 PMCID: PMC9554385 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23392-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has delayed global economic growth, which has affected the economic life globally. On the one hand, numerous elements in the environment impact the transmission of this new coronavirus. Every country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area has a different population density, air quality and contaminants, and water- and land-related conditions, all of which influence coronavirus transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) has advocated fast evaluations to guide policymakers with timely evidence to respond to the situation. This review makes four unique contributions. One, many data about the transmission of the new coronavirus in various sorts of settings to provide clear answers to the current dispute over the virus's transmission were reviewed. Two, highlight the most significant application of machine learning to forecast and diagnose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Three, our insights provide timely and accurate information along with compelling suggestions and methodical directions for investigators. Four, the present study provides decision-makers and community leaders with information on the effectiveness of environmental controls for COVID-19 dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hicham Meskher
- Division of Process Engineering, College of Applied Science, Kasdi-Merbah University, 30000, Ouargla, Algeria
| | - Samir Brahim Belhaouari
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
| | - Amrit Kumar Thakur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, Arasur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641407, India
| | - Ravishankar Sathyamurthy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Punit Singh
- Institute of Engineering and Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, GLA University Mathura, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, 281406, India
| | - Issam Khelfaoui
- School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China
| | - Rahman Saidur
- Research Centre for Nano-Materials and Energy Technology (RCNMET), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
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27
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COVID-19 transmission in Africa: estimating the role of meteorological factors. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10901. [PMID: 36210862 PMCID: PMC9527078 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate variables play a critical role in COVID-19’s spread. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the effect of average temperature and relative humidity on the propagation of COVID-19 in Africa's first four affected countries (South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, and Ethiopia). As a result, policymakers should develop effective COVID-19 spread control strategies. For each country, using daily data of confirmed cases and weather variables from May 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021, generalized linear models (Poisson regression) and general linear models were estimated. According to the findings, the rising average temperature causes COVID-19 daily new cases to increase in South Africa and Ethiopia while decreasing in Morocco and Tunisia. However, in Tunisia, the relative humidity and daily new cases of COVID-19 are positively correlated, while in the other three countries, they are negatively associated.
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28
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Li HL, Yang BY, Wang LJ, Liao K, Sun N, Liu YC, Ma RF, Yang XD. A meta-analysis result: Uneven influences of season, geo-spatial scale and latitude on relationship between meteorological factors and the COVID-19 transmission. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113297. [PMID: 35436453 PMCID: PMC9011904 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Meteorological factors have been confirmed to affect the COVID-19 transmission, but current studied conclusions varied greatly. The underlying causes of the variance remain unclear. Here, we proposed two scientific questions: (1) whether meteorological factors have a consistent influence on virus transmission after combining all the data from the studies; (2) whether the impact of meteorological factors on the COVID-19 transmission can be influenced by season, geospatial scale and latitude. We employed a meta-analysis to address these two questions using results from 2813 published articles. Our results showed that, the influence of meteorological factors on the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases varied greatly among existing studies, and no consistent conclusion can be drawn. After grouping outbreak time into cold and warm seasons, we found daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures have significant positive influences on the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases in cold season, while significant negative influences in warm season. After dividing the scope of the outbreak into national and urban scales, relative humidity significantly inhibited the COVID-19 transmission at the national scale, but no effect on the urban scale. The negative impact of relative humidity, and the positive impacts of maximum temperatures and wind speed on the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases increased with latitude. The relationship of maximum and minimum temperatures with the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases were more susceptible to season, while relative humidity's relationship was more affected by latitude and geospatial scale. Our results suggested that relationship between meteorological factors and the COVID-19 transmission can be affected by season, geospatial scale and latitude. A rise in temperature would promote virus transmission in cold seasons. We suggested that the formulation and implementation of epidemic prevention and control should mainly refer to studies at the urban scale. The control measures should be developed according to local meteorological properties for individual city.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Li Li
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Bai-Yu Yang
- College of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Li-Jing Wang
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Ke Liao
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Nan Sun
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Yong-Chao Liu
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Ningbo Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research at Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Donghai Academy, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Ren-Feng Ma
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Ningbo Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research at Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Donghai Academy, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Yang
- College of Geography and Tourism Culture, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Ningbo Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research at Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China; Donghai Academy, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
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29
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Karmokar J, Islam MA, Uddin M, Hassan MR, Yousuf MSI. An assessment of meteorological parameters effects on COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh using machine learning models. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:67103-67114. [PMID: 35522407 PMCID: PMC9073515 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20196-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a highly contagious virus (SARS-CoV-2) that has caused a global pandemic since January 2020. Scientists around the world are doing extensive research to control this disease. They are working tirelessly to find out the origin and causes of the disease. Several studies and experiments mentioned that there are some meteorological parameters which are highly correlated with COVID-19 transmission. In this work, we studied the effects of 11 meteorological parameters on the transmission of COVID-19 in Bangladesh. We first applied statistical analysis and observed that there is no significant effect of these parameters. Therefore, we proposed a novel technique to analyze the insight effects of these parameters by using a combination of Random Forest, CART, and Lasso feature selection techniques. We observed that 4 parameters are highly influential for COVID-19 where [Formula: see text] and Cloud have positive association whereas WS and AQ have negative impact. Among them, Cloud has the highest positive impact which is 0.063 and WS has the highest negative association which is [Formula: see text]. Moreover, we have validated our performance using DLNM technique. The result of this investigation can be used to develop an alert system that will assist the policymakers to know the characteristics of COVID-19 against meteorological parameters and can impose different policies based on the weather conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaionto Karmokar
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202 Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Aminul Islam
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202 Bangladesh
| | - Machbah Uddin
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202 Bangladesh
| | - Md. Rakib Hassan
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202 Bangladesh
| | - Md. Sayeed Iftekhar Yousuf
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202 Bangladesh
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30
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Zoran MA, Savastru RS, Savastru DM, Tautan MN. Impacts of exposure to air pollution, radon and climate drivers on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest, Romania: A time series study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113437. [PMID: 35594963 PMCID: PMC9113773 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
During the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic disease, like several countries, Romania experienced a multiwaves pattern over more than two years. The spreading pattern of SARS-CoV-2 pathogens in the Bucharest, capital of Romania is a multi-factorial process involving among other factors outdoor environmental variables and viral inactivation. Through descriptive statistics and cross-correlation analysis applied to daily time series of observational and geospatial data, this study aims to evaluate the synergy of COVID-19 incidence and lethality with air pollution and radon under different climate conditions, which may exacerbate the coronavirus' effect on human health. During the entire analyzed period 1 January 2020-21 December 2021, for each of the four COVID-19 waves were recorded different anomalous anticyclonic synoptic meteorological patterns in the mid-troposphere, and favorable stability conditions during fall-early winter seasons for COVID-19 disease fast-spreading, mostly during the second, and the fourth waves. As the temporal pattern of airborne SARS-CoV-2 and its mutagen variants is affected by seasonal variability of the main air pollutants and climate parameters, this paper found: 1) the daily outdoor exposures to air pollutants (particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, nitrogen dioxide-NO2, sulfur dioxide-SO2, carbon monoxide-CO) and radon - 222Rn, are directly correlated with the daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality, and may contribute to the spread and the severity of the pandemic; 2) the daily ground ozone-O3 levels, air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, and surface solar irradiance are anticorrelated with the daily new COVID-19 incidence and deaths, averageingful for spring-summer periods. Outdoor exposure to ambient air pollution associated with radon is a non-negligible driver of COVID-19 transmission in large metropolitan areas, and climate variables are risk factors in spreading the viral infection. The findings of this study provide useful information for public health authorities and decision-makers to develop future pandemic diseases strategies in high polluted metropolitan environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Zoran
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania.
| | - Roxana S Savastru
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania
| | - Dan M Savastru
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania
| | - Marina N Tautan
- National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Magurele, Romania
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31
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Guo Y, Li B, Duan T, Yao N, Wang H, Yang Y, Yan S, Sun M, Wang L, Yao Y, Sun Y, Jia J, Liu S. A panel regression analysis for the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273344. [PMID: 35984832 PMCID: PMC9390909 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explored the roles of epidemic-spread-related behaviors, vaccination status and weather factors during the COVID-19 epidemic in 50 U.S. states since March 2020. Data from March 1, 2020 to February 5, 2022 were incorporated into panel model. The states were clustered by the k-means method. In addition to discussing the whole time period, we also took multiple events nodes into account and analyzed the data in different time periods respectively by panel linear regression method. In addition, influence of cluster grouping and different incubation periods were been discussed. Non-segmented analysis showed the rate of people staying at home and the vaccination dose per capita were significantly negatively correlated with the daily incidence rate, while the number of long-distance trips was positively correlated. Weather indicators also had a negative effect to a certain extent. Most segmental results support the above view. The vaccination dose per capita was unsurprisingly proved to be the most significant factor especially for epidemic dominated by Omicron strains. 7-day was a more robust incubation period with the best model fit while weather had different effects on the epidemic spread in different time period. The implementation of prevention behaviors and the promotion of vaccination may have a successful control effect on COVID-19, including variants’ epidemic such as Omicron. The spread of COVID-19 also might be associated with weather, albeit to a lesser extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinpei Guo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tonghua Duan
- Department of Computational Mathematics, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Nan Yao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yixue Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shoumeng Yan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mengzi Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Yao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuchen Sun
- Jilin National Applied Mathematical Center, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiwei Jia
- Department of Computational Mathematics, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin National Applied Mathematical Center, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (SL); (JJ)
| | - Siyu Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (SL); (JJ)
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Correlation between COVID-19 and weather variables: A meta-analysis. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10333. [PMID: 35996423 PMCID: PMC9387066 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 has significantly impacted humans worldwide in recent times. Weather variables have a remarkable effect on COVID-19 spread all over the universe. Objectives The aim of this study was to find the correlation between weather variables with COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths. Methods Five electronic databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Ovid (Medline), and Ovid (Embase) were searched to conduct the literature survey from January 01, 2020, to February 03, 2022. Both fixed-effects and random-effects models were used to calculate pooled correlation and 95% confidence interval (CI) for both effect measures. Included studies heterogeneity was measured by Cochrane chi-square test statistic Q, I2 and τ2. Funnel plot was used to measure publication bias. A Sensitivity analysis was also carried out. Results Total 38 studies were analyzed in this study. The result of this analysis showed a significantly negative impact on COVID-19 fixed effect incidence and weather variables such as temperature (r = -0.113∗∗∗), relative humidity (r = -0.019∗∗∗), precipitation (r = -0.143∗∗∗), air pressure (r = -0.073∗), and sunlight (r = -0.277∗∗∗) and also found positive impact on wind speed (r = 0.076∗∗∗) and dew point (r = 0.115∗∗∗). From this analysis, significant negative impact was also found for COVID-19 fixed effect death and weather variables such as temperature (r = -0.094∗∗∗), wind speed (r = -0.048∗∗), rainfall (r = -0.158∗∗∗), sunlight (r = -0.271∗∗∗) and positive impact for relative humidity (r = 0.059∗∗∗). Conclusion This meta-analysis disclosed significant correlations between weather and COVID-19 cases and deaths. The findings of this analysis would help policymakers and the health professionals to reduce the cases and fatality rate depending on weather forecast techniques and fight this pandemic using restricted assets.
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Suman TY, Keerthiga R, Remya RR, Jacintha A, Jeon J. Assessing the Impact of Meteorological Factors on COVID-19 Seasonality in Metropolitan Chennai, India. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10080440. [PMID: 36006119 PMCID: PMC9414974 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10080440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Meteorological factors may influence coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. Due to the small number of time series studies, the relative importance of seasonality and meteorological factors is still being debated. From March 2020 to April 2021, we evaluated the impact of meteorological factors on the transmission of COVID-19 in Chennai, India. Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic spreads over the year is critical to developing public health strategies. Correlation models were used to examine the influence of meteorological factors on the transmission of COVID-19. The results revealed seasonal variations in the number of COVID-19-infected people. COVID-19 transmission was greatly aggravated by temperature, wind speed, nitric oxide (NO) and barometric pressure (BP) during summer seasons, whereas wind speed and BP aggravated COVID-19 transmission during rainy seasons. Furthermore, PM 2.5, NO and BP aggravated COVID-19 transmission during winter seasons. However, their relationships fluctuated seasonally. Our research shows that seasonal influences must be considered when developing effective interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thodhal Yoganandham Suman
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon 51140, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea;
- School of Smart and Green Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon 51140, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea
- Ecotoxicology Division, Centre for Ocean Research, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Rajendiran Keerthiga
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China;
| | - Rajan Renuka Remya
- Centre for Material Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Selaiyur, Chennai 600126, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Amali Jacintha
- Ecotoxicology Division, Centre for Ocean Research, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Junho Jeon
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon 51140, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea;
- School of Smart and Green Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon 51140, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea
- Correspondence:
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Trivedi SK, Patra P, Singh A, Deka P, Srivastava PR. Analyzing the research trends of COVID-19 using topic modeling approach. JOURNAL OF MODELLING IN MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/jm2-02-2022-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 222 countries across the globe, with millions of people losing their lives. The threat from the virus may be assessed from the fact that most countries across the world have been forced to order partial or complete shutdown of their economies for a period of time to contain the spread of the virus. The fallout of this action manifested in loss of livelihood, migration of the labor force and severe impact on mental health due to the long duration of confinement to homes or residences.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study identifies the focus areas of the research conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic. Abstracts of papers on the subject were collated from the SCOPUS database for the period December 2019 to June 2020. The collected sample data (after preprocessing) was analyzed using Topic Modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation.
Findings
Based on the research papers published within the mentioned timeframe, the study identifies the 10 most prominent topics that formed the area of interest for the COVID-19 pandemic research.
Originality/value
While similar studies exist, no other work has used topic modeling to comprehensively analyze the COVID-19 literature by considering diverse fields and domains.
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Tripathi V, Bundel R, Mandal CC. Effect of environmental factors on SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in northern hemisphere countries: a 2-year data analysis. Public Health 2022; 208:105-110. [PMID: 35753085 PMCID: PMC9068792 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in December 2019 brought human life to a standstill. With over 2-year since the pandemic originated from Wuhan, SARS-CoV-2 has caused more than 6 million deaths worldwide. With the emergence of mutant strains and COVID-19 surge waves, it becomes critically important to conduct epidemiological studies that allow us to understand the role of various environmental factors on SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Our earlier study reported a strong negative correlation between temperature and COVID-19 incidence. This research is an extension of our previous study with an attempt to understand the global analysis of COVID-19 in northern hemisphere countries. STUDY DESIGN This research aims at achieving a better understanding of the correlation of environmental factors such as temperature, sunlight, and humidity with new cases of COVID-19 in northern hemisphere from March 2020 to February 2022. METHODS To understand the relationship between the different environmental variants and COVID-19, a statistical approach was employed using Pearson, Spearman and Kendall analysis. RESULTS Month-wise univariate analysis indicated a strong negative correlation of temperature and sunlight with SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, whereas inconsistencies were observed in correlation analysis in the case of humidity in winter months. Moreover, a strong negative correlation between average temperature of winter months and COVID-19 cases exists as evidenced by Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall analyses. In addition, correlation pattern between monthly temperature and COVID-19 cases of a country mimics to that of sunlight of a country. CONCLUSION This pilot study proposes that low temperatures and low sunlight might be additional risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, mostly in northern hemisphere countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishnavi Tripathi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
| | - Rashmi Bundel
- Department of Statistics, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Chandi C Mandal
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
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Alsaber AR, Setiya P, Al-Sultan AT, Pan J. Exploring the impact of air pollution on COVID-19 admitted cases. JAPANESE JOURNAL OF STATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE 2022; 5:379-406. [PMID: 35789779 PMCID: PMC9244511 DOI: 10.1007/s42081-022-00165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn urban areas, air pollution is one of the most serious global environmental issues. Using time-series approaches, this study looked into the validity of the relationship between air pollution and COVID-19 hospitalization. This time series research was carried out in the state of Kuwait; stationarity test, cointegration test, Granger causality and stability test, and test on multivariate time-series using the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) technique. The findings reveal that the concentration rate of air pollutants ($$\hbox {O}_3$$
O
3
, $$\hbox {SO}_2$$
SO
2
, $$\hbox {NO}_2$$
NO
2
, $$\hbox {CO}$$
CO
, and $$\hbox {PM}_{10}$$
PM
10
) has an effect on COVID-19 admitted cases via Granger-cause. The Granger causation test shows that the concentration rate of air pollutants ($$\hbox {O}_3$$
O
3
, $$\hbox {PM}_{10}$$
PM
10
, $$\hbox {NO}_2$$
NO
2
, temperature and wind speed) influences and predicts the COVID-19 admitted cases. The findings suggest that sulfur dioxide ($$\hbox {SO}_2$$
SO
2
), $$\hbox {NO}_2$$
NO
2
, temperature, and wind speed induce an increase in COVID-19 admitted cases in the short term according to VECM analysis. The evidence of a positive long-run association between COVID-19 admitted cases and environmental air pollution might be shown in the cointegration test and the VECM. There is an affirmation that the usage of air pollutants ($$\hbox {O}_3$$
O
3
, $$\hbox {SO}_2$$
SO
2
, $$\hbox {NO}_2$$
NO
2
, $$\hbox {CO}$$
CO
, and $$\hbox {PM}_{10}$$
PM
10
) has a significant impact on COVID-19-admitted cases’ prediction and its explained about 24% of increasing COVID-19 admitted cases in Kuwait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad R. Alsaber
- Department of Management, American University of Kuwait, Salmiya, Kuwait
| | - Parul Setiya
- Department of Agrometeorology, College of Agriculture, G.B.Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand India
| | - Ahmad T. Al-Sultan
- Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Jiazhu Pan
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XH UK
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Bukha KK, Sharif EA, Eldaghayes IM. The One Health concept for the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 to marine ecosystems. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONE HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.14202/ijoh.2022.48-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global health threat. This virus is the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Pandemic prevention is best addressed through an integrated One Health (OH) approach. Understanding zoonotic pathogen fatality and spillover from wildlife to humans are effective for controlling and preventing zoonotic outbreaks. The OH concept depends on the interface of humans, animals, and their environment. Collaboration among veterinary medicine, public health workers and clinicians, and veterinary public health is necessary for rapid response to emerging zoonotic pathogens. SARS-CoV-2 affects aquatic environments, primarily through untreated sewage. Patients with COVID-19 discharge the virus in urine and feces into residential wastewater. Thus, marine organisms may be infected with SARS-CoV-2 by the subsequent discharge of partially treated or untreated wastewater to marine waters. Viral loads can be monitored in sewage and surface waters. Furthermore, shellfish are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Filter-feeding organisms might be monitored to protect consumers. Finally, the stability of SARS-CoV-2 to various environmental factors aids in viral studies. This article highlights the presence and survival of SARS-CoV-2 in the marine environment and its potential to enter marine ecosystems through wastewater. Furthermore, the OH approach is discussed for improving readiness for successive outbreaks. This review analyzes information from public health and epidemiological monitoring tools to control COVID-19 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khawla K. Bukha
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Ehab A. Sharif
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Ibrahim M. Eldaghayes
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
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38
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Barbosa B, Silva M, Capinha C, Garcia RAC, Rocha J. Spatial correlates of COVID-19 first wave across continental Portugal. GEOSPATIAL HEALTH 2022; 17. [PMID: 35735942 DOI: 10.4081/gh.2022.1073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The first case of COVID-19 in continental Portugal was documented on the 2nd of March 2020 and about seven months later more than 75 thousand infections had been reported. Although several factors correlate significantly with the spatial incidence of COVID-19 worldwide, the drivers of spatial incidence of this virus remain poorly known and need further exploration. In this study, we analyse the spatiotemporal patterns of COVID-19 incidence in the at the municipality level and test for significant relationships between these patterns and environmental, socioeconomic, demographic and human mobility factors to identify the mains drivers of COVID-19 incidence across time and space. We used a generalized liner mixed model, which accounts for zero inflated cases and spatial autocorrelation to identify significant relationships between the spatiotemporal incidence and the considered set of driving factors. Some of these relationships were particularly consistent across time, including the 'percentage of employment in services'; 'average time of commuting using individual transportation'; 'percentage of employment in the agricultural sector'; and 'average family size'. Comparing the preventive measures in Portugal (e.g., restrictions on mobility and crowd around) with the model results clearly show that COVID-19 incidence fluctuates as those measures are imposed or relieved. This shows that our model can be a useful tool to help decision-makers in defining prevention and/or mitigation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melissa Silva
- Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisboa, Lisbon; Associated Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon.
| | - César Capinha
- Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisboa, Lisbon; Associated Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon.
| | - Ricardo A C Garcia
- Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisboa, Lisbon; Associated Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon.
| | - Jorge Rocha
- Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisboa, Lisbon; Associated Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon.
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39
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Faruk MO, Rahman MS, Jannat SN, Arafat Y, Islam K, Akhter S. A review of the impact of environmental factors and pollutants on covid-19 transmission. AEROBIOLOGIA 2022; 38:277-286. [PMID: 35761858 PMCID: PMC9218706 DOI: 10.1007/s10453-022-09748-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused an unprecedented loss of life with colossal social and economic fallout over 237 countries and territories worldwide. Environmental conditions played a significant role in spreading the virus. Despite the availability of literature, the consecutive waves of COVID-19 in all geographical conditions create the necessity of reviewing the impact of environmental factors on it. This study synthesized and reviewed the findings of 110 previously published articles on meteorological factors and COVID-19 transmission. This study aimed to identify the diversified impacts of meteorological factors on the spread of infection and suggests future research. Temperature, rainfall, air quality, sunshine, wind speed, air pollution, and humidity were found as investigated frequently. Correlation and regression analysis have been widely used in previous studies. Most of the literature showed that temperature and humidity have a favorable relationship with the spread of COVID-19. On the other hand, 20 articles stated no relationship with humidity, and nine were revealed the negative effect of temperature. The daily number of COVID-19 confirmed cases increased by 4.86% for every 1 °C increase in temperature. Sunlight was also found as a significant factor in 10 studies. Moreover, increasing COVID-19 incidence appeared to be associated with increased air pollution, particularly PM10, PM2.5, and O3 concentrations. Studies also indicated a negative relation between the air quality index and the COVID-19 cases. This review determined environmental variables' complex and contradictory effects on COVID-19 transmission. Hence it becomes essential to include environmental parameters into epidemiological models and controlled laboratory experiments to draw more precious results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Omar Faruk
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814 Bangladesh
| | - Md. Sahidur Rahman
- One Health Center for Research and Action. Akbarshah, Chattogram, 4207 Bangladesh
| | - Sumiya Nur Jannat
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814 Bangladesh
| | - Yasin Arafat
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814 Bangladesh
| | - Kamrul Islam
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814 Bangladesh
| | - Sarmin Akhter
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814 Bangladesh
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Impact of urbanisation and environmental factors on spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases during the early phase of epidemic in Singapore. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9758. [PMID: 35697756 PMCID: PMC9191550 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12941-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographical weighted regression (GWR) can be used to explore the COVID-19 transmission pattern between cases. This study aimed to explore the influence from environmental and urbanisation factors, and the spatial relationship between epidemiologically-linked, unlinked and imported cases during the early phase of the epidemic in Singapore. Spatial relationships were evaluated with GWR modelling. Community COVID-19 cases with residential location reported from 21st January 2020 till 17th March 2020 were considered for analyses. Temperature, relative humidity, population density and urbanisation are the variables used as exploratory variables for analysis. ArcGIS was used to process the data and perform geospatial analyses. During the early phase of COVID-19 epidemic in Singapore, significant but weak correlation of temperature with COVID-19 incidence (significance 0.5–1.5) was observed in several sub-zones of Singapore. Correlations between humidity and incidence could not be established. Across sub-zones, high residential population density and high levels of urbanisation were associated with COVID-19 incidence. The incidence of COVID-19 case types (linked, unlinked and imported) within sub-zones varied differently, especially those in the western and north-eastern regions of Singapore. Areas with both high residential population density and high levels of urbanisation are potential risk factors for COVID-19 transmission. These findings provide further insights for directing appropriate resources to enhance infection prevention and control strategies to contain COVID-19 transmission.
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41
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Rethinking Outdoor Courtyard Spaces on University Campuses to Enhance Health and Wellbeing: The Anti-Virus Built Environment. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Responding to the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores how to improve health and wellbeing and reduce infections in outdoor open spaces on university campuses to maximize their potential as a response to future crises. The study identifies the relationship between human behavior (social) and the various physical and environmental elements of these spaces. A case study and mixed-methods approach were undertaken, comprising four modes of inspection: user analysis layer using questionnaires and observations to survey students’ needs and behavior; context analysis layer using space syntax and CFD to examine the space’s physical and environmental conditions; design solutions reflecting an understanding of virus transmission; and a performance analysis layer to test the performance of ‘anti-virus’ courtyards. The findings demonstrated that students are willing to use the open spaces that they used before the pandemic, at the same frequency. This indicates a need to redesign the current spaces to prevent the spread of viruses. The study highlights the social, physical, and environmental implications to be considered in designs for outdoor anti-virus spaces. It provides a comprehensive process for transforming outdoor spaces on university campuses into anti-virus spaces that meet users’ needs. These findings have implications for the designing and retrofitting of open spaces to reduce infection.
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42
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Relationship between Meteorological and Air Quality Parameters and COVID-19 in Casablanca Region, Morocco. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19094989. [PMID: 35564384 PMCID: PMC9100265 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19094989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between meteorological parameters, air quality and daily COVID-19 transmission in Morocco. We collected daily data of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Casablanca region, as well as meteorological parameters (average temperature, wind, relative humidity, precipitation, duration of insolation) and air quality parameters (CO, NO2, 03, SO2, PM10) during the period of 2 March 2020, to 31 December 2020. The General Additive Model (GAM) was used to assess the impact of these parameters on daily cases of COVID-19. A total of 172,746 confirmed cases were reported in the study period. Positive associations were observed between COVID-19 and wind above 20 m/s and humidity above 80%. However, temperatures above 25° were negatively associated with daily cases of COVID-19. PM10 and O3 had a positive effect on the increase in the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases, while precipitation had a borderline effect below 25 mm and a negative effect above this value. The findings in this study suggest that significant associations exist between meteorological factors, air quality pollution (PM10) and the transmission of COVID-19. Our findings may help public health authorities better control the spread of COVID-19.
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43
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Lin R, Wang X, Huang J. The influence of weather conditions on the COVID-19 epidemic: Evidence from 279 prefecture-level panel data in China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 206:112272. [PMID: 34695427 PMCID: PMC8536487 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Studying the influence of weather conditions on the COVID-19 epidemic is an emerging field. However, existing studies in this area tend to utilize time-series data, which have certain limitations and fail to consider individual, social, and economic factors. Therefore, this study aimed to fill this gap. In this paper, we explored the influence of weather conditions on the COVID-19 epidemic using COVID-19-related prefecture-daily panel data collected in mainland China between January 1, 2020, and February 19, 2020. A two-way fixed effect model was applied taking into account factors including public health measures, effective distance to Wuhan, population density, economic development level, health, and medical conditions. We also used a piecewise linear regression to determine the relationship in detail. We found that there is a conditional negative relationship between weather conditions and the epidemic. Each 1 °C rise in mean temperature led to a 0.49% increase in the confirmed cases growth rate when mean temperature was above -7 °C. Similarly, when the relative humidity was greater than 46%, it was negatively correlated with the epidemic, where a 1% increase in relative humidity decreased the rate of confirmed cases by 0.19%. Furthermore, prefecture-level administrative regions, such as Chifeng (included as "warning cities") have more days of "dangerous weather", which is favorable for outbreaks. In addition, we found that the impact of mean temperature is greatest in the east, the influence of relative humidity is most pronounced in the central region, and the significance of weather conditions is more important in the coastal region. Finally, we found that rising diurnal temperatures decreased the negative impact of weather conditions on the spread of COVID-19. We also observed that strict public health measures and high social concern can mitigate the adverse effects of cold and dry weather on the spread of the epidemic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which applies the two-way fixed effect model to investigate the influence of weather conditions on the COVID-19 epidemic, takes into account socio-economic factors and draws new conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofei Lin
- School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, China
| | - Junpei Huang
- School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, China.
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44
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Ledebur K, Kaleta M, Chen J, Lindner SD, Matzhold C, Weidle F, Wittmann C, Habimana K, Kerschbaumer L, Stumpfl S, Heiler G, Bicher M, Popper N, Bachner F, Klimek P. Meteorological factors and non-pharmaceutical interventions explain local differences in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009973. [PMID: 35377873 PMCID: PMC9009775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The drivers behind regional differences of SARS-CoV-2 spread on finer spatio-temporal scales are yet to be fully understood. Here we develop a data-driven modelling approach based on an age-structured compartmental model that compares 116 Austrian regions to a suitably chosen control set of regions to explain variations in local transmission rates through a combination of meteorological factors, non-pharmaceutical interventions and mobility. We find that more than 60% of the observed regional variations can be explained by these factors. Decreasing temperature and humidity, increasing cloudiness, precipitation and the absence of mitigation measures for public events are the strongest drivers for increased virus transmission, leading in combination to a doubling of the transmission rates compared to regions with more favourable weather. We conjecture that regions with little mitigation measures for large events that experience shifts toward unfavourable weather conditions are particularly predisposed as nucleation points for the next seasonal SARS-CoV-2 waves. How weather modulates the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on fine spatio-temporal scales is still not fully understood. Here we use a controlled regional comparison to isolate the impact of five different meteorological factors, four types of non-pharmaceutical interventions as well as individual-level mobility on transmission rates in Austria. We find that more than 60% of regional variations can be explained by these factors. Temperature and humidity relate inversely with transmission rates whereas cloudiness and precipitation correlate with increasing transmission. We also observe a particularly strong impact of restrictions targeting large events. Our results suggest that a combination of weather shifts towards winter conditions combined with little mitigation measures for large gatherings drive the early growth of seasonal SARS-CoV-2 waves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ledebur
- Medical University of Vienna, Section for Science of Complex Systems, CeMSIIS, Vienna, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Kaleta
- Medical University of Vienna, Section for Science of Complex Systems, CeMSIIS, Vienna, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jiaying Chen
- Medical University of Vienna, Section for Science of Complex Systems, CeMSIIS, Vienna, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon D. Lindner
- Medical University of Vienna, Section for Science of Complex Systems, CeMSIIS, Vienna, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Caspar Matzhold
- Medical University of Vienna, Section for Science of Complex Systems, CeMSIIS, Vienna, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Weidle
- Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Sophie Stumpfl
- Austrian National Public Health Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Heiler
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Information Systems Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Bicher
- Institute of Information Systems Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
- dwh simulation services, dwh GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolas Popper
- Institute of Information Systems Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
- dwh simulation services, dwh GmbH, Vienna, Austria
- Association for Decision Support Policy and Planning, DEXHELPP, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Peter Klimek
- Medical University of Vienna, Section for Science of Complex Systems, CeMSIIS, Vienna, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
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45
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Otolorin GR, Oluwatobi AI, Olufemi OT, Esonu DO, Dunka HI, Adanu WA, Danjuma FA, Abiayi DC, Adegoke VA, Omoniwa DO, Oghenefega ON, Mshelbwala PP. COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the environment: A global perspective. NARRA J 2022; 2:e72. [PMID: 38450389 PMCID: PMC10914043 DOI: 10.52225/narra.v2i1.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Many researchers worldwide have focused on the health impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic without paying much emphasis to the environmental impacts associated with the pandemic. Evidence suggests that prior to the pandemic there was an alarming increase in environmental pollution due to rising industrialization, in particular in urban areas. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, satellite data over Asia and Europe showed a substantial decrease in air pollution, in particular nitrogen dioxide. However, the increase in industrial and household wastes may pose a significant challenge to environmental management. The improper management of these wastes poses an unforeseen "knock-on" effect on human health and the environment. It is imperative to establish an effective and safe procedure, for handling and disposing of the consequential wastes accumulating during the pandemic. The review aims to highlight both the beneficial and detrimental effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the natural environment and to discuss the possible strategies to improve the quality of the global environment during the period of the pandemic and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gbeminiyi R. Otolorin
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Akefe I. Oluwatobi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Olaolu T. Olufemi
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel O. Esonu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
| | - Hassana I. Dunka
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Williams A. Adanu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Friday A. Danjuma
- Department of Theriogenology and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - David C. Abiayi
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Victoria A. Adegoke
- Department of Science and Laboratory Technology, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - David O. Omoniwa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Ovwighose N. Oghenefega
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Philip P. Mshelbwala
- University of Queensland Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
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46
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Moazeni M, Maracy MR, Dehdashti B, Ebrahimi A. Spatiotemporal analysis of COVID-19, air pollution, climate, and meteorological conditions in a metropolitan region of Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:24911-24924. [PMID: 34826084 PMCID: PMC8619654 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17535-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has a close relationship with local environmental conditions. This study explores the effects of climate characteristics and air pollution on COVID-19 in Isfahan province, Iran. A number of COVID-19 positive cases, main air pollutants, air quality index (AQI), and climatic variables were received from March 1, 2020, to January 19, 2021. Moreover, CO, NO2, and O3 tropospheric levels were collected using Sentinel-5P satellite data. The spatial distribution of variables was estimated by the ordinary Kriging and inverse weighted distance (IDW) models. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to analyze the relationship between environmental variables and COVID-19. The seasonal trend of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), wind speed, solar energy, and rainfall like COVID-19 was upward in spring and summer. The high and low temperatures increased from April to August. All variables had a spatial autocorrelation and clustered pattern except AQI. Furthermore, COVID-19 showed a significant association with month, climate, solar energy, and NO2. Suitable policy implications are recommended to be performed for improving people's healthcare and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study could survey the local spread of COVID-19, with consideration of the effect of environmental variables, and provides helpful information to health ministry decisions for mitigating harmful effects of environmental change. By means of the proposed approach, probably the COVID-19 spread can be recognized by knowing the regional climate in major cities. The present study also finds that COVID-19 may have an effect on climatic condition and air pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malihe Moazeni
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Maracy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Bahare Dehdashti
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Afshin Ebrahimi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
- Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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47
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Milošević D, Middel A, Savić S, Dunjić J, Lau K, Stojsavljević R. Mask wearing behavior in hot urban spaces of Novi Sad during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 815:152782. [PMID: 34990675 PMCID: PMC8720675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Urban overheating (due to climate change and urbanization) and COVID-19 are two converging crises that must be addressed in tandem. Fine-scale, place-based, people-centric biometeorological and behavioral data are needed to implement context-specific preventative measures such as mask-wearing. This study collected local biometeorological measurements in diverse urban spaces (square, urban park, river quay) in Novi Sad, Serbia on hot sunny summer days (27-30 August 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Observations were supplemented by an online survey asking questions about thermal sensation, comfort, and concurrent protective behavior of the local population. Biometeorological measurements show that the main square in the city center was the most thermally uncomfortable area. According to the survey, it was also perceived as the least safe space to not contract the virus. The urban park was perceived as the most thermally comfortable area in the morning and during midday. It was also considered the safest urban space for outdoor activities. In the evening, the river quay was the most thermally comfortable area in the city. Intra-urban differences in Physiologically Equivalent Temperatures were highest during midday, while differences in air temperatures were highest in the evening. More than 70% of the respondents did not wear face masks when it was hot because of breathing issues and feeling warmer than without mask. Most people wearing a mask felt "slightly warm" in the morning and evening, while the majority of respondents felt "hot" during midday. Only 3% of the respondents felt comfortable while wearing a mask, while 97% experienced some degree of discomfort (from slight discomfort to very uncomfortable). Our study shows that fine scale temporal and spatial urban biometeorological data and population surveys should be included in decision-making processes during the pandemic to develop climate-sensitive health services that are place-based, people-centric, and facilitate planning towards green, resilient, and inclusive cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragan Milošević
- Climatology and Hydrology Research Centre, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
| | - Ariane Middel
- School of Arts, Media and Engineering, School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University, 950 S. Forest Mall, Stauffer B258, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
| | - Stevan Savić
- Climatology and Hydrology Research Centre, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
| | - Jelena Dunjić
- Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
| | - Kevin Lau
- Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Rastislav Stojsavljević
- Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
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48
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Sun W, Hu X, Hu Y, Zhang G, Guo Z, Lin J, Huang J, Cai X, Dai J, Wang X, Zhang X, Bi X, Zhong N. 大气环境对SARS-CoV-2传播的影响研究进展. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2022. [DOI: 10.1360/tb-2021-1228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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49
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Abdel-Aal MAM, Eltoukhy AEE, Nabhan MA, AlDurgam MM. Impact of climate indicators on the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:20449-20462. [PMID: 34735701 PMCID: PMC8566192 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has left a major impact on daily lifestyle and human activities. Many recent studies confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has human-to-human transmissibility. Additional studies claimed that other factors affect the viability, transmissibility, and propagation range of COVID-19. The effect of weather factors on the spread of COVID-19 has gained much attention among researchers. The current study investigates the relationship between climate indicators and daily detected COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the top five cities with confirmed cases. The examined climate indicators were temperature (°F), dew point (°F), humidity (%), wind speed (mph), and pressure (Hg). Using data from Spring 2020 and 2021, we conducted spatio-temporal correlation, regression, and time series analyses. The results provide preliminary evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic spread in most of the considered cities is significantly correlated with temperature (positive correlation) and pressure (negative correlation). The discrepancies in the results from different cites addressed in this study suggest that non-meteorological factors need to be explored in conjunction with weather attributes in a sufficiently long-term analysis to provide meaningful policy measures for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad A. M. Abdel-Aal
- Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 5063, Dhahran, 31261 Saudi Arabia
- IRC of Smart Mobility and Logistics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261 Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelrahman E. E. Eltoukhy
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Mohammad A. Nabhan
- Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 5063, Dhahran, 31261 Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad M. AlDurgam
- Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 5063, Dhahran, 31261 Saudi Arabia
- IRC of Smart Mobility and Logistics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261 Saudi Arabia
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50
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Iqbal A, Haq W, Mahmood T, Raza SH. Effect of meteorological factors on the COVID-19 cases: a case study related to three major cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:21811-21825. [PMID: 34767172 PMCID: PMC8586838 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17268-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the world through its ability to cause widespread infection. The Middle East including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has also been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic like the rest of the world. This study aims to examine the relationships between meteorological factors and COVID-19 case counts in three cities of the KSA. The distribution of the COVID-19 case counts was observed for all three cities followed by cross-correlation analysis which was carried out to estimate the lag effects of meteorological factors on COVID-19 case counts. Moreover, the Poisson model and negative binomial (NB) model with their zero-inflated versions (i.e., ZIP and ZINB) were fitted to estimate city-specific impacts of weather variables on confirmed case counts, and the best model is evaluated by comparative analysis for each city. We found significant associations between meteorological factors and COVID-19 case counts in three cities of KSA. We also perceived that the ZINB model was the best fitted for COVID-19 case counts. In this case study, temperature, humidity, and wind speed were the factors that affected COVID-19 case counts. The results can be used to make policies to overcome this pandemic situation in the future such as deploying more resources through testing and tracking in such areas where we observe significantly higher wind speed or higher humidity. Moreover, the selected models can be used for predicting the probability of COVID-19 incidence across various regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anam Iqbal
- Department of Statistics, Government Graduate College for Women, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Wajiha Haq
- Department of Economics, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, H-12, Pakistan.
| | - Tahir Mahmood
- Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Smart Mobility & Logistics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed Hassan Raza
- School of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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