Aim: The current paper aims to present and discuss some hypothesis about why in Mexico and in particular the Mexico City the epidemy of COVID-19 seems to be slower than other countries. Subject and methods: We compared daily UVI maximum and the reported COVID cases in Mexico City, New York, and Los Angeles and performed an ADONIS permutation test to look for significant differences between case numbers and its relationship with the UV index. We performed a quantile regression to explain the relation between UVI and daily COVID cases. We also investigated and analyzed other possible factors contributing to this slowdown because UVI cannot be the only explanation. Results: Although Mexican authorities have applied one of the smaller numbers of tests in the world, it is possible to identify a slowdown in Mexico's rate of infections. We found a negative and significant difference between the UV and registered cases among the three cities analyzed. However, this slowdown cannot be explained by a single factor. It is possible to hypothesize about the confluence of other factors as Vitamin D levels in Mexican population, lack of central air conditioning and the ventilation in houses and metropolitan transportation systems. Also, the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccination could be part of the explanation of this phenomenon. Conclusions: Single parameter models as solar irradiation can explain partially the complicated spread of COVID-19 in different parts of the world. However, it is necessary to extend our scientific understanding of environmental effects, city infrastructure, population age, vaccination schemes, socioeconomic conditions, social and political behavior on COVID-19 epidemic dynamics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.