Aside from air quality, studying the influence of meteorology on the virus could help predict seasonal variation in its transmission. “Since SARS-CoV-2 has emerged only recently as a human pathogen, there is still uncertainty as to whether its transmission will vary seasonally in different parts of the world” says Associate Professor Rachel Lowe from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “If modelling studies reveal sufficient evidence that seasonality in COVID-19 transmission is linked to meteorological variables like temperature and humidity, weather forecasts could be used to provide early warnings of increased risk and support response strategies.”
Clearly, technology could have a role to play in the battles against climate change and COVID-19, arming us with real-time information on environmental conditions, and revealing associations between these conditions and disease susceptibility. Technology also showcases how health-care systems can be adapted to support sustainability. However, these potential gains might be overshadowed by poor practice, unless the research community adopts more carbon-friendly and transparent approaches. Technology presents an arsenal of tools to fight these dual crises, but sustainability needs to be at the heart of each method.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(21)00007-8
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