Less UV radiation: Corona pandemic comes to a head in winter - this is how researchers explain the phenomenon

Where we could breathe a sigh of relief in the Corona summer, the Covid cases rose again in the autumn.

According to a team of researchers, the cause can be found in the following circumstance.

• Scientists around the world are concerned with the question of which factors promote the spread of Covid-19 *.

• The climate is also repeatedly the subject of research.

• In a recent study, an international team of scientists comes to the conclusion that UV radiation has an immense effect on the spread of the coronavirus.

  To explore the interaction between environmental conditions and the spread of coronavirus, the scientists incorporated data from Covid-19 cases from 3,235 regions in 173 countries into their study.

The higher the UV radiation, the lower the rate of spread of Covid-19

: This is how the result of a recently published study can be summarized.

A team of US, French and British researchers had examined the question of how exactly the climate will affect the corona pandemic.

Since the pathogen Sars-CoV-2 only appeared around a year ago, there are still few meaningful studies on the influence of environmental conditions such as temperature or UV radiation.

The scientists wanted to change that and in their study compared the climatic conditions and Covid-19 cases from 3,235 regions in 173 countries.

UV radiation in particular had a significant influence: "

We found that ultraviolet (UV) radiation has a statistically significant effect on the daily Covid-19 spread rates,

" according to the

study published

on the

PNAS

specialist portal

.

According to the researchers, temperature and humidity had no effect on the spread of coronaviruses.

However, the authors of the study also point out that UV radiation has a much smaller impact on the spread of Covid-19 than social distancing measures such as exit restrictions and keeping your distance.

More on the topic

: More corona infections in winter?

Cold has this effect on the spread of coronaviruses.

Coronaviruses are sensitive to UV radiation

A comparison between the months with the lowest UV values ​​and the months with the highest UV exposure from sunlight was noticeable: On

average, the spread rate of Covid-19 in the months with high UV radiation was seven percent lower

.

Coronaviruses are therefore sensitive to UV radiation.

This is also shown by tests with UV lamps, which can be used to inactivate Sars-CoV-2 viruses on surfaces, as the portal Heilpraxisnet informs.

But the researchers admit that other environmental factors could also have an influence: "

We are certain of the UV effect, but that is only part of the overall picture of seasonality,

" Heilpraxisnet quoted Tamma Carleton from the working group.

And study author Jonathan Proctor also speaks of other important influencing factors: "As we saw in the USA this summer, it is unlikely that UV exposure alone can stop the spread of the virus without strong social distancing measures".

How exactly UV radiation inhibits the spread of coronaviruses has not yet been conclusively clarified.

One explanation could be that UV rays destroy the virus itself.

Another explanation would be that people spend more time outside in summer, when the UV radiation is higher than in winter.

The risk of corona infection is far lower outdoors than in closed rooms

.

(jg)

 *

Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network

.

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