Hyderabad: A popular perception that rising temperatures in the forthcoming summer will help in combating any possible spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) appears to be based not on any established science but more on hope. The theory that hot weather contributes to killing of the new strain of the coronavirus is probably based on the belief that some viruses do not survive in temperatures in excess of 45ºC.
“The new coronavirus is what is called an ‘envelope virus’ in that it has is covered by a sheath. While it is a reasonable assumption that heat can make certain viruses ineffective in heat, a blanket rule that all says viruses will be affected by hot weather is not possible. The ability to survive such conditions varies from virus to virus,” a senior researcher in viruses with a highly reputed research institution in New Delhi said.
It may be recalled that health minister Etala Rajendar had on January 29, told a news conference here in the city that with temperatures set to rise in the coming weeks and months, the threat from the virus would diminish.
For instance, the researcher explained, that the very contagious Noroviruses, that cause diarrhea, a commonly occurring round-the-year disease, are known to have not just survived for long but also survived repeated transfers up to seven times, through human contact from one surface to another.
“There is so little known about the novel coronavirus that we cannot take any chance with it,’ the researcher said.
Dr Suneetha Nareddy, an infectious diseases specialist from Apollo Hospitals here, said, “the novel coronavirus is not a fully known phenomenon. We should take all possible precautions.” She said that the Adenovirus, which among other things causes Pink Eye or conjectivitis, can be seen more in summer, at least in the USA from where more data is available on this virus.
“Unless we have all the information, practicing best possible hygiene and safety is the best option in addition to medical interventions for testing for the disease, and preventing its spread,” she said.
According to Dr Seyed E. Hasnain, head of Jamia Hamdard Institute of Molecular Biology, available research on the novel coronavirus says up to 50 per cent of people infected by it do not display any symptoms for at least two weeks.
“This is the most dreadful part of this virus. Right now there are no drugs or vaccines to treat and prevent the disease. People might become complacent on the hope that hot weather will stop the disease,” Dr Hasnain, a former staff scientist at the National Institute of Immunology and former head of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics lab here in the city, said.
“All we can try and do is to prevent it from spreading. By practicing good hygiene like washing hands frequently after coming home and before eating anything is the way not just to cut the chances of contracting a disease like the one caused by the new coronavirus. This will also mean that the disease, even if some cases are found, can be stopped from spreading,” he said.
