EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND COVID-19 TRANSMISSION IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

• Published in: Journal of Health and Translational Medicine
• Main Author: Abd Ghani N.; Che Dom N.; Dapari R.; Agyemang-Badu S.Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85172706515&doi=10.22452%2fjummec.sp2023no2.15&partnerID=40&md5=07986d8b9aeebd9e0f2305aba89e67ed

The transmission and severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are related to environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between daily reported COVID-19 cases and environmental variables. In this study, we used data from October 2020 to October 2021. We used a Generalised Additive Model (GAM) to examine the short-term relationship between COVID-19 and environmental variables in Selangor, Malaysia, using daily meteorological components and daily confirmed COVID-19 cases. We discovered a significant inverse relationship between daily confirmed COVID-19 cases and mean temperature (Tave), relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and wind effect index (K), while temperature-humidity index (THI) was significantly associated with an increase in daily confirmed COVID-19 cases. The results of this study provide important insights into the impact that environmental factors may have on the transmission of COVID-19 and should be considered in the development of public health interventions in Selangor, Malaysia. © 2023, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. All rights reserved.