New Delhi: There have been reports suggesting that coronavirus cases might go up during winter. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday agreed with that theory, saying that the possibility can’t be dismissed in Indian context.
“SARS Cov 2 is a respiratory virus and the transmission of respiratory viruses is known to increase during the colder weather. Respiratory viruses thrive better in cold weather and low humidity conditions. There is another fact that needs to be kept in mind. During winter, there is a tendency of overcrowding in residential dwellings which may increase transmission… So in Indian context, it would not be wrong to assume that the winter season may see an increase in the number of cases,” Vardhan said during his weekly social media interaction programme ‘Sunday Samvaad’.
To substantiate his argument, Vardhan mentioned European countries, especially the UK, where the number of people testing positive for the deadly virus has increased with advent of winter.
“Hence, we are emphasising on the precautionary measures which are easy to follow. No need to fear and shudder. Wear the mask and maintain social distancing. Prevention is better than cure,” the minister advised his countrymen.
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recently warned that COVID-19 cases in Delhi could spike to around 15,000 daily, in winter months.
“Winter months that make respiratory illnesses severer…Patients may come from outside Delhi in large numbers… Patients coming from distant areas are likely to be more serious. In addition, with festival-related gatherings, there could be a sudden rise in cases. Therefore, it is recommended that Delhi should prepare for a daily surge of approximately 15,000 positive cases and make arrangements for inpatient admissions of patients with moderate and severe disease roughly amounting to 20% of this surge,” the NCDC stated.
Also Read: Come Winter And COVID-19 May Spread, Say Researchers At IIT Bhubaneswar & AIIMS
