This week, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated significantly, particularly in Europe, where the rate of infections has surged by 28% (compared to a global average increase of 6%), according to AFP’s weekly report.
This overall increase obviously conceals many local and national disparities, as each country has developed different measures (with varying levels of compliance) in response to the coronavirus. However, it is still intriguing to see that many countries in Europe have seen their number of confirmed cases rise significantly in the past 15 days.
Emma Hodcroft, a researcher at the University of Basel specializing in virus genetics, notes that over the past two weeks, temperatures have dropped sharply, with a lot of rain.
Already on September 22, she was warning: “This week, most of Europe will experience a drop in temperatures. This will persist in many places and likely heralds the arrival of autumn. As people begin to stay indoors, close windows, and seek warmth, the transmission of Sars-Cov2 will become easier. We should prepare.”
It is not yet possible to say with certainty that the cold wave is the cause of the Covid-19 wave that seems to be affecting Europe, nor to know if this increase will continue. The response of governments and citizens will have a crucial impact.
However, it seems increasingly clear that winter is an ideal playground for the coronavirus.
