Jean-François Berthoumieu, president of the Association Climatologique de la Moyenne Garonne (ACMG) and leader of the European research group ClimAlert, is investigating the potential connection between air humidity and COVID-19 spread. His findings could inform smarter strategies for future lockdowns.
New discoveries about the coronavirus emerge daily. Could air humidity play a role in the epidemic's spread? This is the focus of ClimAlert, led by Berthoumieu, a climatologist specializing in climate issues.
In an April 20, 2020, interview with La Dépêche, Berthoumieu shared his personal experience with COVID-19 alongside his family. His doctor advised removing water sources that might facilitate virus transmission, sparking Berthoumieu's interest. This led him to center the next ClimAlert meeting on air humidity's potential impact on the virus.
Researchers from Murcia, Spain, part of the project, have begun analysis using their soil aridity mapping platform. Early comparisons with COVID-19 infection maps suggest a possible correlation in areas with humidity above 50%, though conclusions remain tentative.
Berthoumieu notes that respiratory droplets evaporate faster in dry air, potentially reducing transmission. Such insights could guide movement restrictions based on humidity levels—deciding when it's safer to venture out.
This echoes the 2009 H1N1 avian flu outbreak in France, where Berthoumieu consulted on observations: waterfowl drinking spring or municipal water were less affected than those from lakes and rivers. No firm links emerged then due to the epidemic's brevity, leaving water-virus connections an open question.
