Warm weather might not help contain Wuhan coronavirus

The spread of a virus generally slows down as temperatures rise. This is why experts at home and abroad have hoped the arrival of spring would help contain the coronavirus. However, it appears that COVID-19 might not follow a similar pattern with the number of confirmed cases rising in relatively warm countries.

Singapore, whose temperature rises up to 31 degrees Celsius, saw the number of confirmed cases increase to 89 from 86 on Sunday. Taiwan, Thailand and Australia, where highest temperatures range between 26 and 34 degrees Celsius, have recorded 35, 28 and 22 confirmed cases, respectively. Countries in the Middle East, such as Iran and the United Arab Emirates, are no exception. This goes to show that COVID-19 might not be seasonal. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Feb. 10 that COVID-19 would be gone by April, to which experts say that it is too early to draw a conclusion.

“Unlike other coronaviruses that peak in winter months and die down with warmer weather, COVID-19 might not be seasonal,” said Son Jang-uk, infectious disease professor at the Korea University Medical Center. “South Korea has four distinct seasons and so cannot be compared with Singapore whose climate is warm throughout the year,” said Kim Nam-jung, infectious disease professor at the Seoul National University Hospital.


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