Coronavirus may get worse as the Winter approaches, warns Health experts
Written by: Rashi Saral
The virus that has proved to be insanely dangerous to humans, now also seems to be unstoppable. When this Coronavirus gets completely wiped off, what vaccine can kill it, when will the time come? All these questions remain puzzled as the cases spike drastically in many of the countries. It has spread to 213 countries, infecting more than 23 million people across the world and resulted in 8,12,537 deaths. Researchers across the globe are strenuously putting efforts to bring the vaccine for novel coronavirus, but it is looking distant to find the right one.
As the winters are approaching, global health experts believe that the season can hit a second wave of the pandemic, maybe much worse than the first one. However, there is ambiguity about how the virus will behave at low temperatures during winters. As per the report published in The Print, Klaus Stohr, an infectious disease expert who previously worked with the World Health Organization says that “the epidemiological behavior of this virus will not be that much different from other respiratory diseases. During winter, they come back.”
It is an alarming reminder that the world as a collective unit needs to be quite prepared to fight the second phase of pandemic, which may potentially be more severe than the current one. According to the study of the Academy of Medical Sciences, UK, the winter may prove to be an extremely challenging time this year. It suggests that the abrupt increase in hospital admissions and deaths in January/February of the same magnitude to that of the first wave in spring 2020.
England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty said, “Planning for the next winter, it would be foolish to plan on the basis we will have a vaccine.”
He further noted, “Now that may be wrong – a lot of people are doing a huge amount scientifically, logistically to make sure that’s a pessimistic statement, to try and see if we can get a vaccine at an extraordinarily fast speed but we have to check it works and we have to make sure it’s safe and these things do take time.”
“We should plan on the basis we will not have a vaccine and then if one does prove to be effective and safe and available then we’re in a strong position to be able to use it and that will be great but we should be planning based on what we currently have,” Professor Chris Whitty concluded.
The bottom line is that cold weather and high humidity may upsurge the probability of infection, to combat this we at a global level ought to proportionately increase the testing, following social distancing rules strictly and practicing respiratory and hand hygiene measures become imperative during the winter months.
So, it’s crucial to take care of yourself in the times of winter, and also post your comments in the section below. Subscribe to Business View Magazine and read more relevant content.