Background: The virulence of coronavirus diseases due to viruses like SARS-CoV or\nMERS-CoV decreases in humid and hot weather. The putative temperature dependence of\ninfectivity by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 or covid-19 has a high predictive medical interest.\n(2) Methods: External temperature and new covid-19 cases in 21 countries and in the French\nadministrative regions were collected from public data. Associations between epidemiological\nparameters of the new case dynamics and temperature were examined using an ARIMA model. (3)\nResults: We show that, in the first stages of the epidemic, the velocity of contagion decreases with\ncountry- or region-wise temperature. (4) Conclusions: Results indicate that high temperatures\ndiminish initial contagion rates, but seasonal temperature effects at later stages of the epidemy\nremain questionable. Confinement policies and other eviction rules should account for\nclimatological heterogeneities, in order to adapt the public health decisions to possible geographic\nor seasonal gradients.
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