Meteorological Variables in the Spread of COVID-19 in a Commercial and Andean-Amazonian Region of Peru

Álvarez-Tolentino D.; Sanchez-Chumpitasi C.; Reategui-Inga M.; Payano I.G.U.; Gamarra-Gamarra D.; Coaguila-Rodriguez P.; Falcón-Paredes G.; Cisneros A.; Aguirre-Escalante C. · International Journal of Environmental Impacts (2024) · DOI: 10.18280/ijei.070219

Resumen

The Junin region, located in the central Andes of Peru, boasts a great diversity of natural resources and commercial flows. This region has reported a high number of positive COVID-19 cases in a short period, which raises interest in understanding the most significant factors influencing the spread of this epidemic. Meteorological variables influencing the spread of COVID-19 in a commercial and Andean-Amazonian region of Peru were analyzed. Secondary data on epidemiology, climate, and social aspects from 124 districts in Junin were used to analyze the evolution and territorial distribution patterns of positive COVID-19 cases from March 10 to November 27, 2020. This was achieved through correlations and multiple regression (α = 0.05) between temperature, absolute humidity, solar radiation, altitude, population density, number of markets, poverty, and elementary occupations with infection rates. All variables showed significant correlations (p < 0.01) except for solar radiation (r = 0.08). The most important factors were temperature (r = 0.39; p = 0.006) and the number of markets (r = 0.61; p < 0.001). The results suggest that one of the most important factors in the spread of COVID-19 in a commercial region is the number of local markets, which are key social interaction spaces and primary hotspots for respiratory pandemic infections.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Ucayali; Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva; Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú; Universidad Nacional Intercultural de la Selva Central Juan Santos Atahualpa