Does Covid-19 follow a similar seasonal pattern to flu?

Anticipating the seasonality of coronavirus is a key factor in fighting its spread, say scientists

• Coronavirus - latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

It is well known that influenza is seasonal, peaking in the winter in temperate regions and during the wet season in tropical locations. So does Covid-19 follow a similar seasonal pattern?

To answer this question scientists compared coronavirus rates between March 2020 and March 2021 from five countries - Canada, Germany, India, Ethiopia and Chile - with daily mean temperature, humidity, ultraviolet radiation and air-drying capacity (a measure of how quickly droplets evaporate).