The impact of environmental variables on the spread of COVID-19 in the Republic of Korea

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 16;11(1):5977. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85493-y.

Abstract

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic and is a major public health concern worldwide. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of environmental factors, such as climate and air pollutants, in the transmission of COVID-19 in the Republic of Korea. We collected epidemiological and environmental data from two regions of the Republic of Korea, namely Seoul metropolitan region (SMR) and Daegu-Gyeongbuk region (DGR) from February 2020 to July 2020. The data was then analyzed to identify correlations between each environmental factor with confirmed daily COVID-19 cases. Among the various environmental parameters, the duration of sunshine and ozone level were found to positively correlate with COVID-19 cases in both regions. However, the association of temperature variables with COVID-19 transmission revealed contradictory results when comparing the data from SMR and DGR. Moreover, statistical bias may have arisen due to an extensive epidemiological investigation and altered socio-behaviors that occurred in response to a COVID-19 outbreak. Nevertheless, our results suggest that various environmental factors may play a role in COVID-19 transmission.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollution / analysis*
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / pathology*
  • COVID-19 / transmission
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Humans
  • Ozone / analysis
  • Photoperiod
  • Republic of Korea / epidemiology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Ozone