Top Indian microbiologists are hopeful that after the 21-daylockdown, when summer approaches, the rise in temperature would play animportant role in preventing the drastic spread of COVID-19 virus in India.
“My biggest hope is that an expected rise intemperature by the end of April (this year) would certainly give a leverage inprevention of this pandemic in the country,” said Professor J.S. Virdi, aneminent microbiologist and Chief of the Association of Microbiologists in India(AMI), one of the oldest scientific organisation in the country.
Studies by various prestigious institutions around the worldreveal that various types of coronaviruses showed “marked winterseasonality”.
In simpler words coronaviruses are more volatile betweenDecember and April. Several virologists are hinting that by June this year, theimpact of COVID-19 would be less than what it appears at present.
“Yes some scientists are talking about June theorywhich obviously relates to rise in temperature. I have spoken to some of ourChinese collaborators and they told us that its (COVID-19) resistance powercannot tolerate high temperature,” Professor Pratyoosh Shukla, GeneralSecretary of AMI told IANS.
“Usually all types of viruses, including SARS or Flu,have maximum impact from October to March. The reason being that temperatureplays an important role in the spread of viruses,” said Prof PratyooshShukla.
A detailed study conducted by the Centre for InfectiousDiseases, Edinburgh University, found that three types of coronavirusesobtained from patients of respiratory tract infections showed winterseasonality.
The viruses, study revealed, seemed to cause infectionbetween December to April, a pattern observed in spread of Influenza. Themicrobiologists are of the view that there are early hints that COVID-19 mayalso vary with the seasons. The outbreak of the new virus suggests that it haspreferences over cool and dry regions.
On the dreadful and rapid spread of COVID-19, Professor J.S.Virdi said that he has been taken aback by the unprecedented pace of this virusin spreading around the world.
“Let me tell you that in my fifty years of career as amicrobiologist, I have never seen a virus spreading at such an electrifyingspeed…and the very fact that it is spreading so fast suggests that it isairborne.
“It is not settling down because it is also beingtransmitted by aerosol. In scientific parlance we call it droplet nuclei,”Virdi told IANS, adding, “another factor is that this new virus, incomparison to the previous ones, has a larger survival time. So it cannot beeasily inactivated.”
Founded in 1938 and having more than 5,000 microbiologistsas members, the AMI sees governments decision of invoking a nationwide 21-daylockdown as an effective measure to prevent COVID-19 from spreading into thecommunity.
“The lockdown will serve its purpose and break thedreadful chain. That is what best we can do right at the moment. Our members,including the ones in National Institute of Virology back this decision,”said Professor Pratyoosh Shukla, who heads the department of microbiology inRohtak University.
Meanwhile President of AMI, J.S. Virdi said that soon theapex body of microbiologist (and virologists) will meet, probably through avideo conferencing to review and discuss the situation relating to the spreadof COVID-19 in India.