Three new scientific studies published this month show that the COVID-19 virus can spread in more ways than we once knew. Research from various parts of the world considered three separate factors in each study: low humidity, public restrooms and airborne dust. The implications from all three of these studies? Mask up!
A study just published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases confirms an earlier study conducted in the Greater Sydney, Australia area during the early stages of the pandemic reported a link between low humidity and community spread of COVID-19. The new research led by Dr. Michael Ward in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science adds to the growing body of evidence that low humidity is a key factor in the spread of the Coronavirus. The scientists estimated that for a 1% decrease in relative humidity, COVID-19 cases increase by 7 to 8%. The same link was not found in other weather patterns such as rainfall, temperature or wind.