The Effects of Atmospheric Stability with Low Wind Speed and of Environment Pollution on the Accelerated Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19

A new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of a disease, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is rapidly spreading all over the world, generating a high number of deaths. The contemporary debate in environmental studies is facing new or relatively unexplored problems. One of the current questions is how the interaction between atmospheric stability / turbulence and particulate compounds emissions in environment affects the diffusion of COVID-19 over time and space. This study endeavors to explain the relation between particulate compounds emissions, atmospheric stability/turbulence (based on wind speed) and the spread of COVID-19 to provide insights of environmental risk factors of specific regions to cope with future epidemics. The statistical analysis here focuses on case study of Italy, one of the countries to experience a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19. Results reveal that cities with high atmospheric stability, based on a low wind speed, and frequently high levels of air pollution — exceeding safe levels of ozone or particulate matter — had higher numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths. This finding suggests that atmospheric stability, based on low wind speed, reduces the dispersion of gaseous and particulate matters (air pollution), which can act as carrier of the SARS-CoV-2 in the air to sustain the diffusion of COVID-19 in environment and society, mainly in fall-winter season. Overall, then, this study has to conclude that an appropriate strategy to help cope with and constrain future epidemics similar to the COVID-19 must also consider environmental factors of atmosphere, climate, soil, sea, etc. to reduce the spread of this novel coronavirus and other viral agents in society