Does cooler weather affect the spread of the virus? Why is it not easy for the coronavirus to die in low temperatures?

The emergence of the new coronavirus has plunged the entire Chinese nation into a "plague" crisis, and this cold wave can be said to be adding insult to injury. Temperatures have dropped to varying degrees across the country, and some parts of Hubei Province have also experienced severe weather such as hail. Does the cooler weather have an impact on the spread of the new coronavirus?

Does cooler weather have an impact on the spread of the virus?

The arrival of this cold front may have a negative impact on the control of the epidemic. Why do we say that? According to the research on the new coronavirus, the virus will be killed at 56 degrees Celsius in 30 minutes. Of course, higher temperatures will have better effects, but low temperatures will not kill the virus. The new coronavirus, like most other bacteria and microorganisms, is difficult to survive in a high-temperature environment, so many items are disinfected by high-temperature disinfection (except for items that are unstable at high temperatures).

Low temperature will not kill the virus, but at most it will reduce its activity. If the temperature is lower, the virus may enter a dormant state. However, dormancy does not mean death. Under certain conditions, the dormant virus will become active again and become invasive.

Why is it not easy for coronavirus to die in low temperatures?

This is because the outermost layer of the new coronavirus is made of protein, which is very easy to denature and lose its activity at high temperatures. Proteins are also easily inactivated when they encounter alcohol and other disinfectants, which is why 75% ethanol, ether and chlorine-containing disinfectants can kill the new coronavirus.

As the weather gets warmer and the amount of sun exposure increases, it will help the epidemic. One reason is that the activity of the virus will decrease as the weather gets warmer. Another reason is that as the weather gets warmer, the environment exposed to sunlight will be exposed to a lot of ultraviolet rays, which can kill the new coronavirus.

What are the characteristics of the new coronavirus?

In fact, the coronavirus has been in this world for a long time, but it has learned to keep pace with the times, so it is always mutating, just like the new coronavirus this time, it is a member of the coronavirus family. Although we have learned a lot about other types of coronaviruses that have occurred, at the beginning of the epidemic, we were still completely unfamiliar with this new coronavirus.

This new coronavirus belongs to the β-coronavirus family. It has an envelope and round or oval particles, which are often polymorphic and have a diameter of 60-140nm. Its genetic characteristics are significantly different from those of SARSr-CoV and MERSr-CoV. Unfortunately, as of now, it is still unknown which wild animal its natural host comes from.

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Our current understanding of the physical and chemical properties of coronaviruses mostly comes from research on SARSr-CoV and MERSr-CoV. Combining various experiments, it was found that the virus is sensitive to ultraviolet light and heat. For example, water temperature of 56°C maintained for 30 minutes, ether, 75% ethanol, chlorine-containing disinfectants, and peracetic acid can effectively inactivate the virus.