DAK says that winter can contribute in spread of Covid-19

DAK says that winter can contribute in spread of Covid-19

By: Javaid Malik MK

Srinagar

There is a steep rise in the covid-19 cases in Kashmir valley but much of its impact is being witnessed in Srinagar city. Recently Deputy Commissioner Srinagar while reviewing the covid-19 situation has cautioned people not to take it easy and refrain from violating the sops.

With winter coming in these days of November experts’ doctors and DAK have said that a cold atmosphere can contribute to the spread of covid-19 cases and have appealed to exercise caution.

DAK in a statement has said that winter season is very crucial for Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir and the people should exercise more precautions while coming out of their homes during these winter days.

According to a DAK statement issued on Monday it has said, “We could see further spike in cases,” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“However, the number of severe cases and hospitalization will be considerably less than that of last winter,” he added.

The DAK President said cold and drier conditions of winter are pretty favorable to the viral stability.

“Covid-19 tends to thrive in cooler conditions and survives outside better when it is cold,” he said.

Dr Hassan said low humidity during winter is the main driver of virus transmission. In environments with low humidity, the virus stays suspended for much longer in the air which increases the risk of transmission.

Quoting a study from the University of Sydney, he said for every 1 percent drop in humidity, the number of Covid-19 cases could increase by 6 percent.

“In winter, we have less of direct sunlight and Covid-19 survives longer in environments of decreased sunlight,” he added.

Dr Nisar said winter is also the time when people tend to spend more time indoors when ventilation is less and social distancing not so easily achieved.

“That would allow Covid-19 to spread more easily,” he said.

General Secretary DAK Dr Arshad Ali said Jammu and Kashmir (JK) has a large proportion of the population who are unvaccinated. As of November 8, 2021, 45% of the population in JK has been fully vaccinated. This means we have around 55% of the population who are susceptible, and that is enough to sustain the virus.

“In order to prevent the revival of Covid-19, we need to vaccinate 80-90% of the population,” he said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.