COVID -19 morbidity and mortality in tropical countries : the effects of economic, institutional, and climatic variables

Abstract

Despite the significant and rising human and economic costs of the novel coronavirus dis- ease (COVID-19), our knowledge on its epidemiology remains limited necessitating expe- dited research to aid public policy. This study contributes to the knowledge gap by focusing on exploring the effects of potential covariates (economic, institutional, and climatic condi- tions) on COVID-19 in tropical countries. Using an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression, our results showed a non-linear relationship between temperature and infection-to-test ratio. Specifically, temperatures warmer than 18 °C can favor the spread of the disease. In addition, strikingly, countries with better democratic principles registered more positive cases than their counterparts at high levels of corruption.