Warm Weather May Stem CCP Virus Spread, but Won’t Stop It: Study

A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the CCP virus at Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation in Nutley, N.J., on Feb. 28, 2020. Kena Betancur/Getty Images

While warmer temperatures and humid climates can’t completely eradicate the CCP virus, they may hinder its spread, new research suggests.

The March 19 study, titled “Will Coronavirus Pandemic Diminish by Summer?” was conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and analyzes the patterns in local weather of the regions affected by COVID-19.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

The scientists in their early analysis found that 90 percent of transmissions of the virus occurred in lower temperature regions—between 37.4 and 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit (3 and 17 degrees Celsius).

They found that fewer than 6 percent of CCP virus cases across the globe have been reported in regions with temperatures averaging above 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius).

“Wherever the temperatures were colder, the number of the cases started increasing quickly,” the study’s co-author, Dr. Qasim Bukhari, told The New York Times. “You see this in Europe, even though the health care there is among the world’s best.”

Bukhari said this pattern is also evident within the United States, which has over 55,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 802 deaths, according to official government data collated by Johns Hopkins University. States with cooler average temperatures, such as Washington, New York, and Colorado, have seen a more rapid outbreak than southern states like Arizona, Florida, and Texas, Bukhari told the outlet.

He added, however, that other factors in different countries, such as COVID-19 test availability, social distancing measures, travel restrictions, and burdens on hospitals may affect the numbers of confirmed CCP virus cases within a country.

“We still need to take strong precautions,” Bukhari said. “Warmer temperatures may make this virus less effective, but less effective transmission does not mean that there is no transmission.”

For example, Bukhari said, the virus may remain viable on surfaces for hours or even days, despite differing temperatures.

The MIT scientist cautioned that a reduced transmission of the virus may be limited in regions with warmer climates and humidity, as the high humidity and heat only perfectly align in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere mainly during the months of July and August.

“This suggests that even if the spread of the coronavirus decreases at higher humidity, its effect would be limited for regions above 40 degrees North, which includes most of Europe and North America,” Bukhari said.

The World Health Organization this month said that there was no evidence that temperature would play a role in the virus outbreak but it was an avenue worth exploring.

Reuters contributed to this report.