Will the weather affect the coronavirus?

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat faithful,

It's been a bit quiet on this forum, so here is something to connect our favorite topic with the sadly vivacious attention we all must now pay to the coronavirus.  Bloomberg has a quick overview on whether or not the change of season might slow down the virus:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-12/will-warm-weather-curb-coronavirus-what-experts-say-quicktake

The consensus - the so-called experts simply don't know.  Alas, I suspect the real reason is the isolated and intrinsically competitive nature of academia.  There is no mechanism to suddenly mobilize research groups in universities across the world to coordinate.  On the contrary, academics talk about unity and cooperation, but in fact, they all desperately compete with one another for research money.  It is a most unwieldy system to try to mobilize n an emergency.

Still, some food for thought, . . . . . .

Edouard

[xairbusdriver]

Sorry, I cannot browse the forums much as I am trying to keep away from crowds. I think about a meter is the recommended distance and at that range I can barely see the text.

[BikerGeek]

Well now that the month of July and triple digit temperatures have arrived here in the Phoenix metro area I would say that the virus doesn’t seem to have been slowed by the heat.

 

[xairbusdriver]

Not sure “weather” has any effect. I Read the following in another forum:

The spread of COVID-19 is based on two factors:

1. How dense the population is.

2. How dense the population is.

[elagache]

Dear BikerGeek, X-Air, and WeatherCat faithful,

*Sigh*, having a PhD which dealt in part with scientific methodology, don't get me started on the COVID-19 mess!!

Not sure “weather” has any effect. . . . .

Steering back on to safer ground . . . . . . 

I've noticed another puzzling phenomenon that definitely defies explanation.  For decades, it has been noticed that weather patterns get locked into a 7-day cycle.  Since there is no natural 7-day cycle, it has always been assumed to be due to human activity - although no satisfactory explanation for this has been found.  COVID-19 has offered an interesting way to test if this cycle was due for example to the 5-day workweek and 2-day weekend cycles of human activity.  At least in the San Francisco Bay Area, the 7-day cycle continues even if the normal commuting and weekend activities having been radically altered.  So whatever explains the 7-day cycle, it isn't the commute patterns.  So for the moment, whatever other havoc COVID-19 is causing, it isn't messing up with the weather . . . . . . at least any more than it is already messed up! . . . .

Cheers, Edouard