Letter to Kelvin Droegemeier, Ph D, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director - Neguse, Castor, Sherrill Lead Calls for Coordinated Covid-19 Seasonality Research

Letter

Dear Dr. Droegemeier,

Thank you for the work you are doing to provide critical scientific research and analysis for our
public health officials as they address the COVID-19 pandemic. We applaud your dedication to
evidence-based research that serves as the foundation of our nation's public health response
during this time of crisis. We write to request that you leverage your full authority as the Director
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy ("OSTP") to direct federal science agencies to
collaboratively pursue further research into the seasonality of COVID-19. Improving our
understanding of how temperature, humidity, and climate impacts the transmission of COVID-19
will be imperative in saving lives and reducing the economic impact of the virus.

We recognize that research entities such as the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and
Medicine ("NASEM") have taken early action in delivering this information by establishing the
National Academies' Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century
Health Threats. The committee's recent report, "SARS-CoV-2 Survival in Relation to
Temperature and Humidity and Potential for Seasonality," has helped ensure that those making
wide-reaching public health decisions are informed with the best possible science. As a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, federal, state and local officials will continue to rely on the most
innovative research available to protect public health and mitigate risk.

As the report implies, an accurate understanding of the COVID-19 response to changing
temperature and humidity is necessary to maximize preparedness for future outbreaks. For
example, seasonality of the virus could limit the size of outbreaks in the summer, providing
valuable time to make progress on testing, develop treatments, and provide a critically needed
respite for our overburdened healthcare system. However, in the case of a global pandemic,
where a virus may be diminishing in one hemisphere, it may then be flourishing elsewhere.
Improving our understanding of these dynamics will be critical in managing current and future
local, state, and federal responses until a vaccine is developed. In addition to the very acute need
for studying seasonality of the virus, it is also important that scientists continue to investigate
how COVID-19 and similar, future strains of the coronavirus will be impacted by a changing climate. As the report states, "additional studies as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolds could
shed more light on the effects of climate on transmission."

Unfortunately, the urgency with which these studies are needed does not comply with the time
scale required to collect adequate data in determining seasonality of the virus. As the
committee's report states, "studies published so far have conflicting results regarding potential
seasonal effects, and are hampered by poor data quality, confounding factors, and insufficient
time since the beginning of the pandemic from which to draw conclusions." We understand there
are many limiting factors that simply cannot be controlled as scientists continue to build on our
understanding of COVID-19. However, leveraging the research capabilities of the all federal
science agencies will allow for improved data quality and a stronger understanding of the many
scientific disciplines that will be required to comprehensively study the virus' relationship with
its surrounding environment.

As you know, the OSTP Fiscal Year 2021 Administration Research and Development Budget
Priorities identified five research and development priorities to ensure that our nation remains a
cutting-edge leader in science and technology. The fourth priority in this list is "American Health
and Bioeconomic Innovation," citing the need for rapid detection and containment of infectious
diseases and public health preparedness. Additionally, the report emphasizes the importance of
multi-disciplinary science, stating that that "departments and agencies should work together to
leverage existing and create new partnerships, share best practices, data, user facilities, and other resources to the extent possible." The current public health crisis demands this stated
collaboration.

Therefore, we implore you to continue building off of the critical work that has been done at
NASEM regarding the seasonality and climate response of COVID-19 by issuing a formal
directive that all federal science agencies complete further collaborative research on this topic.
Our nation's world-class federal laboratories and research institutions are well positioned to
support these efforts.

Again, thank you for your dedication to science and discovery during this pivotal moment in
history.