Misconceptions about weather and seasonality must not misguide COVID-19 response

Colin J Carlson; Ana C R Gomez; Shweta Bansal; Sadie J Ryan

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18150-z

Misconceptions about weather and seasonality must not misguide COVID-19 response

Nat Commun. 2020 Aug 27;11(1):4312. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18150-z.

Authors

Colin J Carlson¹, Ana C R Gomez², Shweta Bansal³, Sadie J Ryan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20007, USA. [email protected].
² Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA.
³ Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.
⁴ Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation (QDEC) Lab, Department of Geography and the Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.

Abstract

Weather may marginally affect COVID-19 dynamics, but misconceptions about the way that climate and weather drive exposure and transmission have adversely shaped risk perceptions for both policymakers and citizens. Future scientific work on this politically-fraught topic needs a more careful approach.

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Communication
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
Coronavirus Infections / transmission
Guidelines as Topic
Health Policy
Humans
Models, Theoretical
Pandemics / prevention & control*
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
Pneumonia, Viral / transmission
Public Health / legislation & jurisprudence
Public Health / standards*
SARS-CoV-2
Seasons*
Weather*

Grants and funding

R01 GM123007/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States