No proof warmer climate can kill virus: Virologist

PETALING JAYA: While it has been said that the Covid-19 outbreak may abate when warmer climate hits the northern hemisphere, virologist Prof Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit calls it a “good working hypothesis”.

The academician, from Universiti Malaya, pointed out that there is no evidence the virus could be killed by the warmer weather in March.

“This inference is based on the effect warmer weather has on other known coronaviruses,” he told the Sun.

Lam said there are similarities shown by Covid-19 and the severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus.

“Like SARS, Covid-19 can spread efficiently when an infected person sneezes or coughs.”

“The virus can be transmitted when someone touches a surface contaminated with an infected person’s droplets.”

He said SARS researchers found that human pathogens from this virus family can persist on surfaces and remain infectious at room temperature for up to nine days.

In contrast, Lam said the measles virus can only live on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours.

“Generally, it is believed that veterinary and human coronavirus can survive between four and five days on various materials like wood, paper, plastic, glass and aluminium,“Lam said.

On Sunday, Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said there is hope that the coronavirus will recede as warmer weather arrives. The hot season will start on March 1 in the northern hemisphere.

Lee said scientific evidence showed that heat kills the coronavirus.