Will heat slow coronavirus spread?

AHMEDABAD: A ray of hope for Gujarat and India in the coming days may come from the intense summer heat, which experts believe could function as a shield against coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
While not much is known about how the virus might behave under sustained heat, experts point to earlier cases of Coronavirus strands — severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) — which showed a downward trend in summer months.
Dr Vivek Dave, an Ahmedabad critical care specialist, said that the medical fraternity hopes that once heat increases, viral infections will come down. “But since it has been identified as ‘novel’ coronavirus, we still have to learn a lot about how it behaves under different conditions,” he said. “The epidemic will take a few months to settle down completely.”
Dave added that while it’s always sensible to take all precautions possible, it’s also important to disseminate the message that there is no need to panic. “If one has contracted COVID-19, it doesn’t mean the end of life — even in China, the most affected country, the death rate is about 2%,” Dave said. “The need of the hour is to follow the basics and improve the screening of those who have returned from epidemic zones.”
Dr Gunvant Rathod, the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, said that as the base hospital for COVID-19, the facility is ready with adequate beds, medicines, masks, and diagnostic and coordination teams. “We have not received any positive case so far,” he said. “With testing being done at the hospital, diagnosis has become faster.”
Sources said that the civic authorities want foreign passengers screened at the airport. Manoj Gangal, the director of the city airport, could not be reached for comment. Sources added that hand sanitizers will be made available at multiple places in the terminals.