US health authorities also believe that even if Covid-19 cases slow over summer, the rate of infection is likely to increase again in fall and winter, in line with other seasonal viruses like the flu.

A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus linked to the Wuhan outbreak, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. (Reuters)

The new coronavirus is quickly destroyed by sunlight, according to new research announced by a senior US official on Thursday, though the study has not yet been made public and awaits external evaluation.

William Bryan, science and technology advisor to the Department of Homeland Security secretary, told reporters at the White House that government scientists had found ultraviolet rays had a potent impact on the pathogen, offering hope that its spread may ease over the summer.

"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in the air," he said.

"We've seen a similar effect with both temperature and humidity as well, where increasing the temperature and humidity or both is generally less favorable to the virus."

But the paper itself has not yet been released for review, making it difficult for independent experts to comment on how robust its methodology was.

It has long been known that ultraviolet light has a sterilising effect, because the radiation damages the virus's genetic material and their ability to replicate.

A key question, however, will be what the intensity and wavelength of the UV light used in the experiment was and whether this accurately mimics natural light conditions in summer.

"It would be good to know how the test was done, and how the results were measured," Benjamin Neuman, chair of biological sciences at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, told AFP.

"Not that it would be done badly, just that there are several different ways to count viruses, depending on what aspect you are interested in studying."

Virus inactivated

Bryan shared a slide summarizing major findings of the experiment that was carried out at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center in Maryland.

It showed that the virus's half-life — the time taken for it to reduce to half its amount — was 18 hours when the temperature was 21 to 24 degrees Celsius with 20 percent humidity on a non-porous surface.

This includes things like door handles and stainless steel.

But the half-life dropped to six hours when humidity rose to 80 percent — and to just two minutes when sunlight was added to the equation.

When the virus was aerosolized — meaning suspended in the air — the half-life was one hour when the temperature was 21 to 24 degrees with 20 percent humidity.

In the presence of sunlight, this dropped to just one and a half minutes.

Bryan concluded that summer-like conditions "will create an environment (where) transmission can be decreased."

He added, though, that reduced spread did not mean the pathogen would be eliminated entirely and social distancing guidelines cannot be fully lifted.

"It would be irresponsible for us to say that we feel that the summer is just going to totally kill the virus and then if it's a free-for-all and that people ignore those guides," he said.

Previous work has also agreed that the virus fares better in cold and dry weather than it does in hot and humid conditions, and the lower rate of spread in southern hemisphere countries where it is early fall and still warm bear this out.

Australia, for example, has had just under 7,000 confirmed cases and 77 deaths — well below many northern hemisphere nations.

The reasons are thought to include that respiratory droplets remain airborne for longer in colder weather, and that viruses degrade more quickly on hotter surfaces, because a protective layer of fat that envelops them dries out faster.

US health authorities believe that even if Covid-19 cases slow over summer, the rate of infection is likely to increase again in fall and winter, in line with other seasonal viruses like the flu.

Source: https://www.trtworld.com/life/sunlight-destroys-coronavirus-quickly-say-us-scientists-35700

The government should be careful because this information will let Nigerians go out just because of the sun and heat in this region. Hope this will not backfire!!

Or so it seems

Wild media speculations.
Let us see the paper first.

sammyj:
The government should be careful because this information will let Nigerians go out just because of the sun and heat in this region. Hope this will not backfire!!

The headline is a lie and the body text have not been proven because nobody
has seen the research paper yet.
The same light and temperature claim was made in January which makes many people believe that the
disease will just disappear and will never get to Nigeria.

Lolz

This is just hogwash and fake news... it hasnt been proven oo

Xisnin:

The headline is a lie and the body text have not been proven because nobody
has seen the research paper yet.
The same light and temperature claim was made in January which makes many people believe that the
disease will just disappear and will never get to Nigeria.

Previous work has also agreed that the virus fares better in cold and dry weather than it does in hot and humid conditions, and the lower rate of spread in southern hemisphere countries where it is early fall and still warm bear this out.

Australia, for example, has had just under 7,000 confirmed cases and 77 deaths — well below many northern hemisphere nations.

The reasons are thought to include that respiratory droplets remain airborne for longer in colder weather, and that viruses degrade more quickly on hotter surfaces, because a protective layer of fat that envelops them dries out faster.

sammyj:
The government should be careful because this information will let Nigerians go out just because of the sun and heat in this region. Hope this will not backfire!!

My exact thoughts, especially in the North which is characterised by higher temperatures and intensity of sunlight. Religious propaganda in the region dismissing the threats of the virus is already one challenge too many.

The masses risk interpreting this to mean there is no transmission in warmer regions (even as community transmission has already started) and abandon all preventive measures altogether.

The release of this information, if absolutely necessary, must be strategic.

,

Bethel4Life:
This is just hogwash and fake news... it hasnt been proven oo

hogwash?make ada hogwash catch u.de call her name any how

kiyosaki1:


Previous work has also agreed that the virus fares better in cold and dry weather than it does in hot and humid conditions, and the lower rate of spread in southern hemisphere countries where it is early fall and still warm bear this out.
Australia, for example, has had just under 7,000 confirmed cases and 77 deaths — well below many northern hemisphere nations.

Those are speculations unless you can present a scientific
paper that supports your claim regarding different hemispheres.

Previous works are largely useless for a novel virus.
Of course, it has some similarities with other Coronavirus but it is still different.

"virus fares better in cold and dry weather" is no good news unless we know what fares better
mean for the actual spread of Sars-Cov-2, not some random virus. Are we talking about a 90%, 50% or 5%
drop?

How does one even compare a large country such as Australia with tiny Korea on just hemisphere
and weather?

When it is common knowledge that human interactions is the primary driver of the disease spread.
It is not an accident that Lagos has most cases. A big factor is the population density, if you spread
out the population of Lagos to a state like Bornu, it will make no sense to not relax the lockdown immediately.

The reasons are thought to include that respiratory droplets remain airborne for longer in colder weather, and that viruses degrade more quickly on hotter surfaces, because a protective layer of fat that envelops them dries out faster.

We do not know that the majority or even a significant infection occurs from droplets traveling around to infect people.

Viruses are very different from one another and some don't even have fat layer.
"Hotter surface" and "Quickly" are sales, not a scientific language, we need the actual temperature and time
it takes Sars Cov-2 to degrade on its own to make any meaningful inference.

Even if the guess is correct, it won't matter because people interact mostly in close spaces, offices, buses, markets
and the virus does not need to travel to infect another person.

Could this be the reason Kogi State hasn't recorded a single case till date despite being bordered by states with confirmed cases?

Ok i go dey dry myself for sun everyday

Bethel4Life:
This is just hogwash and fake news... it hasnt been proven oo

I watched it on CNN when Trump and some medical personnel were addressing the nation. Bring fact to disprove rather than discrediting what you not privy to