Scientists in USA studied how coronavirus ‘survives’ in warmth

Specialists conducted a study: how higher temperature and humidity affects the spread of new coronavirus infection SARS-CoV-2.

In previous reports they supposed the spread of SARS can slow down in higher temperature and high humidity. The group of scientists have analyzed data on the cases in USA, to study the effects of temperature, precipitation, and ultraviolet light on SARS-CoV-2 transmission between people.

They used negative binomial regression modeling to find out if there is a connection between daily maximum temperatures, precipitation, UV index and the number of cases five days later (data after 3, 7, and 9 days was taken into account to estimate delays in virus transmission).

Specialists modeled various temperature ranges and checked how coronavirus spreads in the following temperatures: 1-4; 4-10; 10−16 and more than 16 degrees Celsius. Finally, they concluded that the maximum temperature in excess of 52 ° F or 11 ° C was connected with lower range of new cases in 5 days after.

Apparently, the virus survives during shorter period of time at relatively high temperatures.

An increase in UV-index by 1 point was also connected with lower range of infection in 5 days.  But the humidity did not affect this indicator.

But nevertheless, the connection between temperature and transmission is insignificant and the transmission of coronavirus is likely to remain high even in higher temperatures, the authors concluded.