COVID -19 Morbidity and mortality in tropical countries: The effects of economic, institutional, and climatic variables

Wisdom Akpalu; J Atsu Amegashie; Selma T Karuaihe

doi:10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01257

COVID -19 Morbidity and mortality in tropical countries: The effects of economic, institutional, and climatic variables

Sci Afr. 2022 Jul:16:e01257. doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01257. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Authors

Wisdom Akpalu¹, J Atsu Amegashie², Selma T Karuaihe³

Affiliations

¹ School of Research and Graduate Studies (SRGS, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), P. O. Box AH 50, Achimota-Accra, Ghana.
² Department of Economics and Finance, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1.
³ Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa.

Abstract

Despite the significant and rising human and economic costs of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), our knowledge on its epidemiology remains limited necessitating expedited research to aid public policy. This study contributes to the knowledge gap by focusing on exploring the effects of potential covariates (economic, institutional, and climatic conditions) on COVID-19 in tropical countries. Using an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression, our results showed a non-linear relationship between temperature and infection-to-test ratio. Specifically, temperatures warmer than 18 °C can favor the spread of the disease. In addition, strikingly, countries with better democratic principles registered more positive cases than their counterparts at high levels of corruption.

Keywords: COVID-19; Demography; Institutions; Temperature; Tropical countries.