Association of two COVID-19 outbreaks with meteorological parameters in Beijing, China

Abstract

Since December 2019, COVID-19 has become a public health emergency of international concern, from local area to the current worldwide pandemic. Since March this year, the epidemic in Chinese cities has been effectively controlled, and the number of newly confirmed local cases in many places has reached zero growth. However, it is worth noting that some Chinese cities represented by Beijing have undergone secondary local transmission of COVID-19. According to epidemiological and laboratory studies, meteorological factors are key factors affecting the spread of infectious diseases such as coronavirus and influenza, but the impact of meteorological factors on the spread of COVID-19 virus remains controversial. This study explored the correlation between daily meteorological data in Beijing and the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, and compared three Chinese cities with similar conditions (Jilin, Dalian and Urumqi) to explore the role of meteorological factors in the spread of COVID-19 virus. Szpilman and Kendall correlation coefficients were used to study the correlation between COVID-19 and meteorological factors. The results showed that in the first round of COVID-19 transmission, meteorological factors were significantly correlated with the development of COVID-19 (p<0.01): temperature and wind speed were positively correlated with the increase in the number of cases, while air pressure and relative humidity were negatively correlated. In the second round of epidemic spread, the impact of meteorological factors was not significant. This study is of great significance for enhancing the understanding of the current situation of COVID-19 transmission and developing relevant prevention and control measures to prevent a second outbreak of COVID-19.