The Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Climatic Factors of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China

Abstract

COVID-19 is threatening the whole world. This paper aims to explore the correlation between climatic factors and the morbidity of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, mainly by using a geographic detector and GWR model. It was found that the response of the morbidity of COVID-19 to meteorological factors in Wuhan is different at different stages. On the whole, the morbidity of COVID-19 has a strong spatial aggregation, mainly concentrated in the central area of Wuhan City. There is a positive correlation between wind speed and the spread of COVID-19, while temperature has a negative correlation. There is a positive correlation between air pressure and the number of COVID-19 cases. Rainfall is not significantly correlated with the spread of COVID-19. It is concluded that wind speed, relative humidity, temperature, and air pressure are important meteorological factors affecting the spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan. Any two variables have greater interaction with the spatial distribution of the incidence rate of COVID-19 than any one factor alone. Those findings not only provide a new insight for the key intervention measures and the optimal allocation of health care resources accordingly but also lay a theoretical foundation for disease prevention, disease intervention and health services.