New Covid-19 cases marked a 6% jump

Health experts are concerned about the potential for a new wave of Covid-19 infections over the winter period, identifying several factors that could lead to an increase in the rate of transmission. It comes amid heightened fears that coronavirus cases will surge in the Northern Hemisphere when the seasons change, since respiratory illnesses tend to thrive during cooler weather conditions.

That’s partly because people tend to spend more time indoors clustered together in winter, with less ventilation and less personal space than in summer. Respiratory infections, such as coronaviruses, are typically spread by droplets that are released when a person coughs or sneezes. And, health experts say colder and drier conditions in winter strongly affects the transmission of flu-like illnesses.

Preparations for the upcoming winter season come as countries try to orchestrate a delicate balancing act: reopening their economies while also achieving public health goals. The World Health Organization has said it “fully supports” efforts to reopen societies, adding it wishes to see children returning to school and people returning to work.

To date, more than 25.7 million people have contracted Covid-19 worldwide, with 857,413 related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The number of new coronavirus cases reported across the region increased by 5.6% to a total of just over 4 million cases in the week ending August 23, according to data compiled by the WHO.

Those new cases marked a 6% jump compared to the previous week and an increase of 72% compared to the week ending June 7, when the lowest number of cases per week were reported since the April peak.

Health experts sound the alarm on a possible new coronavirus wave this winter, CNBC, Sep 2