Researchers at Princeton University, in a study published by the scientific journal Science, concluded that the heat in the summer will not alone be able to save the northern hemisphere from the Covid-19 epidemic.
And statistical studies conducted in recent months, have established a slight link between climate and the epidemic, the higher the temperature and humidity the decrease in the spread of the virus, but these results are still preliminary, and the basis of the biological link between climate and the emerging corona virus that causes Covid-19 disease has not yet been revealed.
The simulations published by Science magazine do not exclude this link entirely, but they consider it without great importance at present.
"We see that the hotest and humid climates will not slow down the virus in the early stages of the pandemic," Princeton researcher Richtel Baker, a principal author of the study, said in a statement released by the university.
"The virus will spread quickly, regardless of weather conditions," the researcher added.
"Other human coronaviruses, such as the common cold, are highly dependent on seasonal factors, peaking in the winter, outside the tropics," said professor Brian Aenfell. And if the new Corona virus is seasonal, as it is likely, we can expect it to become a winter virus after infecting many members of society. ”
The team developed several models of "corona" based on the monitoring of influenza viruses and known corona viruses that cause colds by simulating what might happen in several regions of the world with different temperatures and humidity levels. The researchers concluded that «the results indicate that the tropical and temperate regions must prepare for the spread of the epidemic widely, and that the summer heat will not contain the spread of infections».