Shutterstock
Scientists are well aware of how warmer weather affects seasonal disease outbreaks and are now wondering if rising temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere might help slow the spread of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, epidemic.
Infectious disease specialists and scientists have already established that respiratory infections such as flu, coughs, and the common cold often have seasonal influences that make outbreaks easier to predict and contain.
At the same time, it has also been well established that certain environmental conditions often work to increase the transmission of viruses.
Those factors include cold weather, humidity, as well as the way people behave during winter, such as congregating and clustering indoors.
All of these factors have an effect on the trajectory of an epidemic.
Additionally, the weather itself is a factor. Cold air causes irritation in the nasal passages and airways, which makes humans more susceptible to viral infection.
But when it comes to the new coronavirus COVID-19, unfortunately, the experts on infectious diseases have one distinct disadvantage – the virus hasn’t been around long enough for scientists to collect enough data to determine what role warmer weather will play in combating the disease.
Nonetheless, based on educated guesses, scientists are hopeful that warmer weather will slow the coronavirus in the way it affects other transmittable diseases.
Hawaii thought it might be safe from the virus, but now officials have reason to worry that the disease May begin spreading throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Coronavirus COVID-19 has continued to spread from China, moving west to affect Korea and Japan, and now it may be in Hawaii.
Two days ago, a Japanese couple flew the 4,108 Hawaiian miles from Nagoya, Japan, to visit Maui and Oahu.
The couple was later diagnosed with coronavirus COVID-19. Delta Airlines has since warned the passengers who were on board with them on their roughly 10-hour flight.
Officials are now retracing the couple’s activities in Hawaii, attempting to identify any people the pair may have come into close contact with during their 10-day stay on the two islands.
