Quantification of the effects of climatic conditions on French hospital admissions and deaths induced by SARS-CoV-2

Climate and COVID-19 transmission: a cross-sectional study in Africa

The role of climate in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission appears to be controversial, as reported in earlier studies. In Africa, the subject is poorly documented. In this study, over the period from January 1st, 2020 to September 31, 2022, the daily variations in cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 for each African country (54 countries) are modelled through time-series-based approaches and using meteorological factors as covariates. It is suggested from the findings that climate plays a role in COVID-19 transmission since at least one meteorological factor is found to be significant in 32 countries. In decreasing order, the most often occurring meteorological factors are dewpoint temperature, relative and absolute humidity, average temperature and solar radiation. Most of these factors show a lagged effect with confirmed cases (between 0 and 28 days). Also, some meteorological factors exhibit contrasting effects on COVID-19 transmission, resulting in both positive and negative association with cumulative cases, therefore highlighting the complex nature of the interplay between climate and COVID-19 transmission.

Robust time-series analysis of the effects of environmental factors on the CoViD-19 pandemic in the area of Milan (Italy) in the years 2020-21

The effects of environmental factors on the spread of the CoViD-19 pandemic have been widely debated in the scientific literature. The results are important for understanding the outbreak dynamics and for defining health measures of prevention and containment. Using multivariate autoregressive (AR) models and robust statistics of causality, this paper analyzes the effect of 19 time series (10 physical and 9 social) on 3 daily CoViD-19 series (infected, hospitalized, deaths) in the Milan area for about 16 months. Robust M-estimation shows the weak effect of climatic and pollution factors, while authority restrictions, people mobility, smart working and vaccination rate have a significant impact. In particular, the vaccination campaign is important for reducing hospitalizations and deaths.