Head of Influenza Reference Laboratory at Kyiv-based Institute of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Alla Myronenko, says the coronavirus, like other respiratory pathogens, may retreat in the summer, while it may further 'flare up' again in the autumn, albeit in a less aggressive form.
"The seasonality of respiratory viruses, including coronavirus, remains within colder periods, not summer. Therefore, Covid-19 is expected to subside in summer not only here [in Ukraine], but also in other countries where it will be warm. It will be spreading in countries where colder temperatures will prevail in the forthcoming summer season. The coronavirus won't fully let go as it will return in autumn. In terms of its biological capacity, it should become less aggressive, as always happens with viruses," she told the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel on April 1.
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Myronenko says people are most likely to contract a virus by touching contaminated surfaces. She also advises that people maintain social distancing and keep at least a meter off of each other in public.
