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The effects of indoor temperature and humidity on local transmission of COVID-19 and how it relates to global trends

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  • Han June Park
  • Sung-Gwang Lee
  • Jeong Suk Oh
  • Minhyuk Nam
  • Steven Barrett
  • Soohyung Lee
  • Wontae Hwang

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, analyses on global data have not reached unanimous consensus on whether warmer and humid weather curbs the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We conjectured that this lack of consensus is due to the discrepancy between global environmental data such as temperature and humidity being collected outdoors, while most infections have been reported to occur indoors, where conditions can be different. Thus, we have methodologically investigated the effect of temperature and relative humidity on the spread of expired respiratory droplets from the mouth, which are assumed to be the main cause of most short-range infections. Calculating the trajectory of individual droplets using an experimentally validated evaporation model, the final height and distance of the evaporated droplets is obtained, and then correlated with global COVID-19 spread. Increase in indoor humidity is associated with reduction in COVID-19 spread, while temperature has no statistically significant effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Han June Park & Sung-Gwang Lee & Jeong Suk Oh & Minhyuk Nam & Steven Barrett & Soohyung Lee & Wontae Hwang, 2022. "The effects of indoor temperature and humidity on local transmission of COVID-19 and how it relates to global trends," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(8), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0271760
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271760
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rachel E. Baker & Wenchang Yang & Gabriel A. Vecchi & C. Jessica E. Metcalf & Bryan T. Grenfell, 2021. "Assessing the influence of climate on wintertime SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-7, December.
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