Influence of environmental factors on the spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide. The infection is mostly spread through the inhalation of infected droplets. Saudi Arabia is a vast country having different climatic conditions. METHODS: The study evaluated the influence of environmental factors on the spread of COVID-19. Six zones (A to F) were classified depending on the climatic conditions. The study was conducted by retrospective analysis of COVID-19 records from the ministry of health between the months of September 2020 and August 2021. The environmental data such as average temperature (°C), humidity (%), wind speed (m/s) and sun exposure (kwh/m(2)) were retrieved from official sites. The data was analyzed to determine the effect of these factors on the spread of COVID-19. SPSS IBM 25 software was used to conduct the analysis and p < 0.05 was considered to indicate the significance of the results. RESULTS: According to the findings, the rate of infection was greater between April and July 2021. Six climatic zones experienced high temperatures, little humidity, consistent wind flow, and intense sun exposure throughout this time. The correlation study revealed a significant (p < 0.05) relationship between the environmental factors and the spread of COVID-19. The data suggested that during summer condition when the weather is hot, less humid, and steady wind flow with lots of sun exposure, the COVID-19 infection rate got augmented in Saudi Arabia. Poor ventilation and closed-door habitats in an air-conditioned atmosphere during this period could have played a role in human transmission. More research on air quality, population mobility and diseased condition is essential, so that precise proactive measures can be designed to limit the spread of infection in specific climatic seasons.