The hypothesis on the connection between Coronavirus and heat is now stronger

Since coronavirus, unfortunately, appeared in our lives, much has been said about it: how it emerged, how its spread is encouraged, who is most affected by it, its symptoms... And the question of whether it is 'destroyed' by heat has also been put on the table. That is to say, if high temperatures slow down its spread.

It has not been possible to make a clear statement on this last fact yet, but it is true that the theory is getting stronger and stronger. There is a study carried out by the State Agency of Meteorology and the Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid which indicates that there is a correlation between temperature and propagation with respect to COVID-19.

A correlation that would be demonstrated if we take into account the data of infected people in Spain. In particular, these data show that the regions least affected by the pandemic are precisely where temperatures are highest: Murcia and the Canary Islands, where there are fewer than 19 infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

The authorities have something to say

Precisely because this hypothesis is gaining more and more strength, Fernando Simón (Director of the Health Alert and Emergency Coordination Centre in Spain) was been asked about it today at his daily press conference. In this case, he wanted to be very cautious and he said that it is difficult to prove and that "until we are clear about how other countries with similar or different climates are evolving, we won't know for sure."

However, he did not hesitate to acknowledge that "there are similar viruses that are affected by the weather, others with a clear seasonality, which are transmitted at a low level during spring and summer".

Moreover, he added that "there is a meteorological issue that does seem to indicate that areas with certain climatic characteristics could have a lower transmission, but it is still complicated to assess it. However, these hypotheses seem to be having a little more support".

[This is a translation of the original article "Crece la hipótesis sobre la relación entre el coronavirus y el calor" published in espanadiario.net]