I have had numerous questions about whether the summer weather will slow the spread of this novel coronavirus as it does for other cold and flu viruses. I respond by pointing out that the virus has already hit Australia during its summer and has spread in Singapore and Indonesia, which are in permanent summer. Also, India, Brazil, Ecuador, and other tropical and subtropical countries have seen accelerated virus spread. The virus doesn’t seem to care how hot or humid it is.
In India, the virus has overwhelmed Mumbai and its health system. Bodies are reportedly left unattended in hospital hallways and sick patients are required to sleep on floors until a bed opens up. New wards open and fill daily. This is despite a strict 2 month lockdown in India’s financial capital. Meanwhile, Brazil is now second-highest in the world in the number of COVID-19 cases. 30,000 new cases were reported in one day in late May.
The virus took a foothold and rapidly spread in these and other summery countries suggesting that our North American summer will not necessarily lead to the disappearance of the virus.
This notion is further bolstered by a new study. NIH Director, Francis Collins, recently reported that the lack of human immunity to the virus, not the weather will be the primary driver of viral spread through our summer and into the fall. This was recently reported in the journal Science.
In fact, rather than expect the virus to tail off this summer, brace for the second wave. But, that is just the opinion of this humble blogger.
We will see.

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