Effects of temperature and humidity on the spread of COVID-19: A systematic review.
Journal
PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
Titre abrégé: PLoS One
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101285081
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2020
2020
Historique:
received:
08
04
2020
accepted:
15
08
2020
entrez:
18
9
2020
pubmed:
19
9
2020
medline:
30
9
2020
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Faced with the global pandemic of COVID-19, declared by World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11th 2020, and the need to better understand the seasonal behavior of the virus, our team conducted this systematic review to describe current knowledge about the emergence and replicability of the virus and its connection with different weather factors such as temperature and relative humidity. The review was registered with the PROSPERO database. The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, LILACS, OpenGrey and Google Scholar were examined with the searches restricted to the years 2019 and 2020. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist tool. The GRADE tool was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. The initial screening identified 517 articles. After examination of the full texts, seventeen studies met the review's eligibility criteria. Great homogeneity was observed in the findings regarding the effect of temperature and humidity on the seasonal viability and transmissibility of COVID-19. Cold and dry conditions were potentiating factors on the spread of the virus. After quality assessment, two studies had a high risk of bias, eleven studies were scored as moderate risk of bias, and four studies were classified as low risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was graded as low for both outcomes evaluated. Considering the existing scientific evidence, warm and wet climates seem to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, these variables alone could not explain most of the variability in disease transmission. Therefore, the countries most affected by the disease should focus on health policies, even with climates less favorable to the virus. Although the certainty of the evidence generated was classified as low, there was homogeneity between the results reported by the included studies.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Faced with the global pandemic of COVID-19, declared by World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11th 2020, and the need to better understand the seasonal behavior of the virus, our team conducted this systematic review to describe current knowledge about the emergence and replicability of the virus and its connection with different weather factors such as temperature and relative humidity.
METHODS
The review was registered with the PROSPERO database. The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, LILACS, OpenGrey and Google Scholar were examined with the searches restricted to the years 2019 and 2020. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist tool. The GRADE tool was used to assess the certainty of the evidence.
RESULTS
The initial screening identified 517 articles. After examination of the full texts, seventeen studies met the review's eligibility criteria. Great homogeneity was observed in the findings regarding the effect of temperature and humidity on the seasonal viability and transmissibility of COVID-19. Cold and dry conditions were potentiating factors on the spread of the virus. After quality assessment, two studies had a high risk of bias, eleven studies were scored as moderate risk of bias, and four studies were classified as low risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was graded as low for both outcomes evaluated.
CONCLUSION
Considering the existing scientific evidence, warm and wet climates seem to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, these variables alone could not explain most of the variability in disease transmission. Therefore, the countries most affected by the disease should focus on health policies, even with climates less favorable to the virus. Although the certainty of the evidence generated was classified as low, there was homogeneity between the results reported by the included studies.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32946453
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238339
pii: PONE-D-20-10018
pmc: PMC7500589
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Systematic Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e0238339Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Références
Nature. 2020 Mar;579(7798):270-273
pubmed: 32015507
J Clin Epidemiol. 2011 Apr;64(4):401-6
pubmed: 21208779
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1962;28:221-33
pubmed: 13953681
Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi. 2004 Aug;22(4):261-3
pubmed: 15355703
Nat Med. 2020 Apr;26(4):450-452
pubmed: 32284615
Virol J. 2019 May 27;16(1):69
pubmed: 31133031
Nature. 2020 Feb 25;:
pubmed: 33623145
J Virol. 2011 Feb;85(3):1400-2
pubmed: 21084485
Adv Virol. 2011;2011:734690
pubmed: 22312351
Lancet Infect Dis. 2004 Nov;4(11):704-8
pubmed: 15522683
Annu Rev Virol. 2020 Sep 29;7(1):83-101
pubmed: 32196426
Epidemiol Infect. 2015 Apr;143(6):1110-8
pubmed: 25307020
Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 12;10(1):17002
pubmed: 33046802
J Virol. 2000 Mar;74(5):2333-42
pubmed: 10666264
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2007 Sep;11(9):938-43
pubmed: 17705968
JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jun 1;3(6):e2011834
pubmed: 32525550
Nature. 2020 Mar;579(7798):265-269
pubmed: 32015508
N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 26;382(13):1199-1207
pubmed: 31995857
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 May 28;116(22):10905-10910
pubmed: 31085641
PLoS Med. 2009 Jul 21;6(7):e1000097
pubmed: 19621072
J Virol. 2014 Jul;88(14):7692-5
pubmed: 24789791
Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2020 Jan;14(1):11-18
pubmed: 31631558
J Infect Public Health. 2020 May;13(5):704-708
pubmed: 31813836
J Environ Health. 2007 Oct;70(3):39-46
pubmed: 17941402
Am J Infect Control. 2006 May;34(4):234-6
pubmed: 16679182
Science. 2018 Oct 5;362(6410):75-79
pubmed: 30287659