On Climate And Why Covid 19 Cases Spike In South

The pundits and the propaganda mills of the left (called by some “the media”) would like you to think that the spikes in coronavirus we are experiencing now in our southern states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, and Southern California are the result of “bad” decisions by red state governors.  Or are only the result of just when and how these states closed down their economies, or that they opened up too quickly.  They attempt  to politicize these unfortunate events so as to give advantage to one political camp or another.

The fact of the matter is that the climate of these places is more likely the controlling or primary factor generating cases of infections,  rather than just when or how the state was opened and just how many tests were conducted.  These factors (particularly the wide and effective use of masks) are indeed very important in controlling disease transmission,  but more important are just how climate e controls how millions of state residents respond to seasonal changes in temperature.   In particular,  the factors of indoor  confinement and air humidity  are critical.

In dry air the larger droplets of spittle produced by coughing (or even speaking ) “spreaders” can evaporate quickly into very tiny aerosols—consisting mostly of virus particles —which are so small they can stay lofted in stagnant interior air for very long periods of time.  These aerosol particles are the primary means of transmission. ( See my earlier blog 4-26-20 “On bats, bat caves....” as source of virus ).  In the cold months of the Northern Hemisphere people in these states— the northern  tier -/are forced by climate and weather into indoor spaces where contagion is more likely.  But in the modern day air conditioned south —our summer— is the season of indoor confinement for southerners .  Air cooled by refrigeration lowers relative humidity and encourages dehydration of spittle particles and their reduction into very small lofted particulates.   In Arizona where temperatures outside hit the high nineties F regularly, people stay indoors all summer long. In those dry air confined spaces they are more likely to be exposed to coronavirus contaminated air.

Thus expect the surge if cases in the south to moderate as fall approaches, and spikes to reoccur in our northern states where confinement indoors returns.

If everyone would wear a mask it would cut down on aerosol generation and we could effectively reduce  transmission all over the nation north and south regardless of the season. .