Be Prepared, Coronavirus May Become Seasonal Infection: US Scientist

Anthony Fauci highlighted how the virus, that spurred during the cold weather in China, is now beginning to find its root in the southern hemisphere which is at the brink of winters.

New Delhi: A top scientist of the United States on Wednesday said that there is a possibility that the novel coronavirus disease comes back in seasonal cycles, emphasizing on the urgency of finding a vaccine before the next outbreak.

Anthony Fauci, a lead researcher at the National Institutes of Health, in a briefing highlighted how the virus, that spurred during the cold weather in China, is now beginning to find its root in the southern hemisphere which is at the brink of winters.

He said that if the outbreak is as large scale as currently in the northern hemisphere, it will be extremely crucial to find a cure for the contagion before it hits for a second run.

Not just Fauci, but many experts have noted the virus does more harm in a colder weather as compared to in hot and humid conditions. The probable reasons are that respiratory droplets remain airborne for longer in when the temperature is lower, and that cold weather weakens a person’s immunity.

This, however, does not mean that living in warmer places halt the growth of coronavirus. Instead, it just reduces the speed of transmission at which the virus spreads otherwise.

Scientists around the world are on a constant experiment to find a solution to bid adeiu to the COVID-19 infection that has become a grim reality for most of the world. Until now, two vaccines have entered human trials – one in the US and another in China – but they are still at least a year away from deployment.

Meanwhile, the drugs used in most treatments for coronavirus – from anti-HIV drugs to antimalarial chloroquine – are ones that increase the immunity of a person, because that is what the virus targets.

As of now, the contagious disease has more than 2,500 confirmed cases and eight deaths in Australia. It has also reached Brazil in South America.