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@MIT

@MIT

THREAD: @MIT researchers recently published a paper trying to explain how weather may or may not impact the spread of #COVID19. They updated some of the data just this week. Here's a summary of what they found.

SO FAR: thru March 22, 90% of #COVID19 cases recorded in places with a temperature range of 3-17ºC (37-63ºF). The researchers note that 83% of testing, however, has been done in non-tropical countries. That may skew data.

MORE: despite that, researchers point out that warmer places like #Australia, #Singapore, and #Bahrain have done extensive testing per capita, and those positive rates are lower than colder places like the #UnitedStates and #Europe.

CHARTS: these graphs give a better sense of the temperature and humidity ranges at which #COVID19 appears most often.

HUMIDITY: linking #COVID19 and a specific temperature range is harder than linking it to humidity. So far the data suggests more strongly that the spread is enhanced in lower humidity environments. Upcoming monsoon seasons may lower transmission rates in some spots, paper says.

SUMMARY: while researchers say countries going into monsoon season may see slower transmission, they conclude it's "extremely unlikely" that #COVID19 spread will slow in the US & Europe because of environmental factors.