Winter is coming: How to protect yourself against COVID-19 in cold, harsh weather
Even as we enter the tenth month of the
pandemic, there seems to be no stopping to the SARS-Co-V-2 virus which
continues to wreak havoc across the world. At the time of writing, the
virus has infected more than 34,168,420 people and close to 1,018,896
people have already succumbed to it. While things have certainly been
challenging till date, experts are worried about the fast-approaching
season of sniffles and coughs as the threat of ‘Twindemic’ looms large.
Respiratory infections rise during the winter season
Earlier,
it was believed that the harsh summer months will put a pause in the
spread of the pandemic, however, nothing of that sort turned out to be
true. As the pandemic continues to spread at an unrelenting pace,
experts are gravely concerned that the rate of COVID-19 infection may
rise sharply in the winter months. It is important to understand that
respiratory infections have a tendency to show an upward tick during the
month of winters.
The looming threat of ‘Twindemic’ in the coming months
With the hopes of an effective and safe
coronavirus vaccine shifting to the spring of 2021, experts are worried
that it is also possible that people may contract both influenza and the
COVID-19, resulting in devastating consequences. With the medical care
system already overwhelmed, it will become all the more important to be
prepared for the coming winters.
Why do respiratory illnesses become more lethal in colder months?
For starters, due to the inherent nature of
the viruses, they survive longer in dry air and cold climate.
Furthermore, humidity is also a favourable condition for the spread of
the disease as it leads to the formation of aerosols. One of the other
factors that may be crucial to the spread of respiratory illnesses is
the low exposure to sunlight which reduces the vitamin D levels in the
body, further weakening the immune system.
How do we prepare ourselves for the winter season?
As health experts across the world echo
similar sentiments that the COVID-19 outbreak may become worst in the
coming winter months, countries need to brace themselves for the same.
One thing is for sure that the winter season is certainly coming before a
vaccine is launched for public circulation. Hence, to prevent the cold
weather and humidity from accelerating the spread of COVID-19, it is
extremely crucial to let go of the lackadaisical approach and be
well-prepared to tackle another wave of the pandemic. It is also
important to take flu shots to brace yourself for the winter season, if
you haven't already.
The bottomline
Ultimately, it all boils down to ramping up
the testing for COVID-19, following the social distancing norms strictly
and practising respiratory and hand hygiene measures. Most importantly,
do not step out without wearing face covers or face masks, especially
if you are going to be in a closed space with poor ventilation.