Impacts of Meteorological Parameters on COVID-19 Transmission Trends in the Central Part of Thailand

Abstract

Abstract Several nonpharmaceutical intervention protocols in the form of lockdowns were officially enforced across Thailand to exigently decrease the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the outbreak of COVID-19 disease. A massive contraction of Thailand’s economic activities changed its influences on air pollutants, especially nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). To elucidate these alterations, we investigate the data from 31 continuous ambient air quality observatory stations in the central part of Thailand from 12 January 2020 to 30 April 2022. Negative correlation coefficients between PM2.5 and O3 in ambient air ranged from -0.35 to -0.71, which can be attributed to the opposing effects of these two air pollutants. While O3 is principally generated by photochemical reactions in the presence of NOx and VOC, PM2.5 can absorb and scatter solar radiation, leading to the inhibition of O3 formation. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis underlined the importance of O3 as the main air pollutant affecting the enhancement of COVID-19 infection rates.