Impact of relative humidity on COVID-19 transmission

Authors

Keywords:

COVID-19, relative humidity, generalized logistics model, viruses, tropical zone.

Abstract

Introduction: The new pathogen SARS-CoV-2 presents a rapid spread, and is the cause of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Given that this virus is recent, the increase in cases of the COVID-19 disease has been a great threat, to which has been added the lack of conclusive information about the disease, its transmission, and its relationship with the different environmental variables.

Objective: To determine the incidence of relative humidity in the transmission of COVID-19 in the tropical regions of Colombia.

Methods: Relative humidity data and number of daily COVID-19 infections from seven cities in Colombia located in the Caribbean Region (Barranquilla and Sincelejo), Andean region (Medellín, Bucaramanga, Armenia and Cúcuta), as well as the Amazon Region (Leticia) were analyzed. A generalized logistic model was used to analyze existing data and design epidemiological curves.

Results: For all cities, according to the model, high correlations were found between relative humidity (observed variable) and COVID-19 (predicted variable) with an R2 > 0.90. However, it was determined if there was an association between the variables by comparing the p-value with the level of significance α 0.05, a statistically significant association was found in the cities of Leticia, Barranquilla and Cúcuta.

Conclusions: The results indicate that there is a direct relationship between relative humidity and the transmission of COVID 19 in tropical regions of Colombia. Hence, it is proposed that the study provides an important tool for the decision-making of the institutions in charge of the control of the disease, such as national and local governments.

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Author Biographies

Antonio Navarro-Duran, Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y del Ambiente. San José Cúcuta

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y del Ambiente

Mauro Cortez-Huerta, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Facultad de Ingeniería Química

Facultad de Ingeniería Química

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Published

2022-07-08

How to Cite

1.
Navarro-Duran A, Cortez-Huerta M. Impact of relative humidity on COVID-19 transmission. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [Internet]. 2022 Jul. 8 [cited 2025 Mar. 14];48(3). Available from: https://revsaludpublica.sld.cu/index.php/spu/article/view/2904

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 3 (2022): julio-septiembre

Section

Artículo especial

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