Impact of sandstorm and carnival celebrations on SARS-CoV-2 spreading in Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Laura Tomaino; Jaime Pinilla; Silvia Rodríguez-Mireles; Beatriz González López-Valcárcel; Patricia Barber-Pérez; Antonio Sierra; Carlo La Vecchia; Lluís Serra-Majem

doi:10.1016/j.gaceta.2020.09.006

Impact of sandstorm and carnival celebrations on SARS-CoV-2 spreading in Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Gac Sanit. 2021 Nov-Dec;35(6):565-568. doi: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2020.09.006. Epub 2020 Oct 31.

Authors

Laura Tomaino¹, Jaime Pinilla², Silvia Rodríguez-Mireles³, Beatriz González López-Valcárcel⁴, Patricia Barber-Pérez², Antonio Sierra⁵, Carlo La Vecchia⁶, Lluís Serra-Majem⁷

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Department of Clinical and Community Sciences (DISCCO), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; COVIDCAN, COVID-19 Study and Analysis Group, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain.
² COVIDCAN, COVID-19 Study and Analysis Group, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Department of Quantitative Methods in Economics and Management, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain.
³ COVIDCAN, COVID-19 Study and Analysis Group, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Admission and Clinical Documentation Service, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Canary Health Service, Las Palmas, Spain.
⁴ COVIDCAN, COVID-19 Study and Analysis Group, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Department of Quantitative Methods in Economics and Management, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Scientific Advisory Group of the COVID-19 Committee of the Government of the Canary Islands, Las Palmas, Spain.
⁵ Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
⁶ Department of Clinical and Community Sciences (DISCCO), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
⁷ Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; COVIDCAN, COVID-19 Study and Analysis Group, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain; Scientific Advisory Group of the COVID-19 Committee of the Government of the Canary Islands, Las Palmas, Spain; Preventive Medicine Service, Centro Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil (CHUIMI), Canary Health Service, Las Palmas, Spain. Electronic address: lluis.serra@ulpgc.es.

PMID: 33139083
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2020.09.006

Abstract

Objective: We address the hypothesis that the extraordinary sandstorm occurred on 22-24 February 2020 might have a role in the different cumulated incidence of COVID-19 cases between the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, since it obliged to reduce significantly air traffic and forced to suspend all major carnival street events in all most locations.

Method: We performed a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 cases as to 1 April 2020 according to symptoms onset, weather-related data and Carnival events in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Results: The sandstorm occurred on February 22-24, 2020, forced air traffic to close, reducing the influx of tourists to the Canary Islands and suspending carnival events in most places, except in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Cumulated incidence as to 1 April was 132.81/100,000 in Tenerife, and 56.04/100,000 in Gran Canaria.

Conclusions: The suspension of Carnival events due to the sandstorm in the Canary Islands contributed to reduce differently the SARS-CoV-2 spread in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Keywords: COVID-19; Clima; España; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spain; Síndrome respiratorio agudo grave por coronavirus 2; Weather.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2*
Spain / epidemiology