It has been two years ever since the nation witnessed the life threatening COVID-19 virus.
With the cases dipping and the pandemic seeming to come to an end, scientists have predicted that the COVID-19 may soon become seasonal, probably similar to influenza.
Rochelle Walensky, Director Dr. The Centers of Disease and Control and Prevention, said that COVID may soon become seasonal, joining other respiratory viruses like strep throat, influenza, etc. that tend to spread during the winter months.
It is said that though stricter measures like lockdown and operating at minimal capacity is unlikely to return, masking and physical distancing are definite measures to undertake to control the spread. CDC officials have also said that the virus will not completely go away, but is likely to rise during the winter months. Get Health Insurance to stay safe from covid-19
Will COVID-19 soon become seasonal?
Senior Author of study of Dr. Hassan Zaraket, of the American University of Beirut in Lebanon said that COVID is here to stay and can cause an outbreak year on year until herd immunity is achieved. He also said that people will have to continue to live with the virus, taking preventative measures.
Some studies have also shown that hot and humid environments hinder the survival chances of the virus, whereas, the cold climate lowers humidity levels and may lead to the spread of the virus.
Dr. Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, Director and Founding dean of the Program in Public Health at the University of California, Irvine said, "Research is still evolving, but there is some evidence Trusted Source that the virus dies when exposed to certain levels of UV light, making it harder to spread during the sunny summer months as opposed to winter."
Evidence has also suggested that severity of COVID and related death increases due to air pollution.
Will COVID-19 cases increase and what to expect next?
Dr. Shruti Gohil, the Associate Medical Director of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention at UCI Health said that though we may see the COVID pandemic coming to an end, the probability of outbreaks, variants and increase in COVID hospitalizations may not end soon.
Epidemiologists are also researching how vaccinations and proper infection may affect infection, hospitalization and death rate.
Strict lockdowns including closure of business and schools is not likely to return soon.
Scientists have also said that countries with a high vaccination rate may be better off with the virus, whereas countries with low vaccination rates could be severely affected
Conclusion
The previous pandemics that the world has witnessed-the 1952 H2N2, , 1963 H3N2 and 2009 H1N1 pandemic ended without any large scale roll out of vaccines and dependency on herd immunity. Well, COVID-19 may follow similar steps in the months to come.
Also Read: These Deadly Diseases Will Make Your Medical Bills Skyrocket In India
