Increased exposure to the Sun's rays, specifically UVA, can be a simple public health intervention to prevent mortality rates from Covid-19, say researchers, who found that sunnier areas are associated with fewer deaths from the deadly virus.
Ultraviolet UVA rays make up 95 per cent of the Sun's UV light and can penetrate more deeply into the skin.
The analysis was repeated in England and Italy with the same results.
However, the reduction in death risk could not be explained by higher levels of vitamin D, said researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
But nitric oxide released by the skin due to sunlight exposure could be a reason as this can likely reduce the ability of SARS CoV2, the virus causing Covid-19, to replicate, as has been found in some lab studies, they noted.
The team compared all recorded deaths from Covid-19 in the US from January to April 2020 with UV levels for 2,474 US counties for the same time period.
Due to the observational nature of the study, it is not possible to establish cause and effect.
(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT).
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