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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.