Increased Exposure to Sunlight Can Reduce COVID-19 Death Risk, Says UK Study

According to a latest study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, increased exposure to sunlight can reduce death rate due to Covid-19. Experts from the University of Edinburgh have suggested that people living in the sunnier areas having the highest level of exposure to UV-A rays are linked with fewer deaths from Covid-19 in comparison to people exposed to lower levels of UV-A.

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The UK study compared all recorded deaths from coronavirus in the continental US from January to April 2020 with ultraviolet levels for 2,474 US countries for the same time period. Later, the analysis was repeated in England and Italy with the same results. The only areas with insufficient levels of UV-B were included in the study.

As per older studies, rapid sunlight helped inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in a lab setting. However, more recent theories have concluded that UV-B radiation alone may not explain sunlight inactivation of the novel coronavirus.

In the research, the researchers attributed the lower number of deaths due to novel coronavirus to nitrous oxide, which is released by the skin upon getting exposure to sunlight. The chemical compound may minimize the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to replicate, according to some lab studies.

It must be noted that UV-A radiation makes up for 95% of the sun's ultraviolet light and penetrates deep into the skin. While UV-C radiation has proved effective against the novel coronavirus, the wavelength does not reach the surface of the earth.

In the past, studies have established a link between increased sunlight exposure and improved cardiovascular health, with lower blood pressure and fewer heart attacks.