An Exploratory Research to Quantify SARS-CoV-2 Related Health Effects under Extreme Climate Events (National Institutes of Health) 2023-2024

This novel NIH Pillar-1 “Health Effects Research” investigates the influence of climate change and extreme weather events on SARS-CoV-2 related health outcomes. The study has the spatial and temporal focus on extreme weather events in Nigeria and South Africa, explicitly quantifying the direct health impacts from climate change on the weather-impacted areas, indirect impacts caused by induced human behavior changes and on different population groups, and the spillover influences on connected neighboring regions. The proposed study innovatively applies techniques from statistics, data sciences, computer science, and public health to deliver actionable results as well as data and new measurements to understand the health effects of extreme climate events on SARS-CoV-2 outcomes.