Akers Biosciences Inc (Nasdaq:AKER) and its proposed merger partner MyMD Pharmaceuticals Inc reported on Thursday the publication of a new study showing the effects of temperature changes on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The study, authored by Adam Kaplin, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer of MyMD Pharmaceuticals, suggests that between the range of 30 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit a one-degree temperature increase is associated with a 1% decrease in the rate of COVID-19 transmission and a one-degree temperature decrease is associated with a 3.7% increase in the rate of transmission. The research was based on 50 Northern Hemisphere countries.

Knowledge of COVID-19 seasonality could feed into local planning for phased reductions, social interventions and preparing for the timing of possible pandemic resurgence during cooler months.

The study has been published in PLOS ONE.