The deadly coronavirus that entered India while there was still nip in the air has beaten rising mercury, humid conditions, unique Indian genome and has entered monsoon season with more potency as fresh cases are only breaking all records in the country.
India recorded a single-day spike of record 24,850 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking its total tally to 6.73 lakh corona-positive cases.
Top Indian microbiologists were hopeful in March that after the 21-day lockdown, as summer approaches, the rise in temperature would play an important role in preventing the drastic spread of COVID-19 virus in India.
Several virologists hinted that by June this year, the impact of COVID-19 would be less than what it appeared in March-April.
The claims have fallen flat as the virus is mutating fast, becoming more potent than ever.
According to experts, the novel coronavirus is a new virus whose seasonality and response to hot humid weather was never fully understood.
"The theory was based on the fact that high temperatures can kill the virus as in sterilisation techniques used in healthcare. But these are controlled environment conditions. There are many other factors besides temperature, humidity which influence the transmission rate among humans," Dr Anu Gupta, Head, Microbiologist and Infection Control, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, told IANS.
There is no built-up immunity to COVID-19 in humans.
"Also, asymptomatic people might be passing it to many others unknowingly. New viruses tend not to follow the seasonal trend in their first year," Gupta emphasized.
Globally, as several countries are now experiencing hot weather, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a record hike in the number of coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 2,12,326 in 24 hours in the highest single-day increase since COVID-19 broke out.
So far over 11 million people worldwide have tested positive for the disease which has led to over 5,25,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US remained the worst-hit country with over 28 lakh cases, followed by Brazil with 15.8 lakh.
According to Sandeep Nayar, Senior Consultant and HOD, Respiratory Medicine, Allergy & Sleep Disorders, BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, whether temperature plays a role in COVID-19 infection is highly debated.
One school of thought said in the tropical regions of South Asia, the virus might not thrive longer.
"On the other hand, another school of thought has found that novel Coronavirus can survive in a hot and humid environment and tropical climate does not make a difference to the virus. According to them, this is what distinguishes the novel coronavirus from other common viruses, which usually wane in hot weather," stressed Nayar.
Not much has been studied in the past and no definite treatment or vaccine is available to date.
"Every day, new properties and manifestation of the disease come up. As of now, the only way to prevent this monster is by taking appropriate precautions. Hand hygiene, social distancing, cough etiquette and face masks definitely reduce spread of COVID-19 infection," Nayar told IANS.
Not just top Indian health experts, even Indian-American scientists had this theory in mind that sunshine and summer may ebb the spread of the coronavirus.
Ravi Godse, Director of Discharge Planning, UPMC Shadyside Pennsylvania in the US told IANS in April: "In the summer, the humidity can go up as well, meaning more water drops in the air. If the air is saturated with water and somebody sneezes virus droplets into such air, it is likely that the droplets will fall to the ground quicker, making them less infectious. So the short answer is yes, summer/sunshine could be bettera.
According to Dr Puneet Khanna, Head of Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology, Manipal Hospital, Delhi, COVID-19 death rates are not too different in tropical countries but since the disease affected them late it was yet to show its peak in these areas.
"The virus can survive well in hot and humid countries and this is proven now," he stressed.
The renewal of the licence embarrassed the Centre as it came even as agencies are trying their best to slap terror charges against Dr Naik in the wake of a massive hate campaign against him.
Comments
Zakir naik quotes from Vedas \NA TASYA PRATIMA ASTI\"... there is no image of God... (I found out its truly mentioned in VEDAS and to my shocking there is severe punishment for idol worshipers in VEDAS)
IF U use your intellect... then U will agree with him and U will stay away to get God's blessing rather than making your own idol and worshiping the Stone.
ZN spoke the truth and it is your ego that U dont want to follow the VEDAS which mentions NA TASYA PrATIMA ASTI...
Worship the CREATOR and not Man made Creations.."
Venki, first can you show any one of his video where he hates any of the holy book of any religion. He says people are not following the religion. Did you read veda? It says not to perform Idol worship. But do we follow? No. Same thing he says. If some one of our community person is doing wrong , we need to show him the mistake. But our community leaders are not doing this. Instead they show others who shows our mistake as wrong. If person is psycho, he never understand this.
Oh my God Modi\s chaddi is slipping..."
Dear Venki,
That means you are not follow or not belive in vedas!! ZN is quoting page no's from the vedas and other holy books. If he says anything wrong show with proof of page no he says. Don't blame any one without proof. Please follow own books instaed of hating other religion. I have gone thorh his speaches after these blames. What he says true. He says follow your holy books. What is wrong in this?
here comes the funny face of saffron, muhh kala
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