Does Sunlight and Warm Weather Kill Coronavirus? | Ultraviolet Light and Coronavirus | Do Saunas and Hot Showers Help With Coronavirus Infection? | Coronavirus Treatment
Does sunlight kill coronavirus (COVID-19) and do the warmer summer months offer protection against it?
Many infectious diseases especially influenza peak during the winter months between November and March in the Northern Hemisphere and between May and September in the Southern Hemisphere. But studying these patterns cannot be viewed in a vacuum and the challenge is identifying the factors that play a role: coronavirus, the environment and human behavior. For example, could these infections increase in the winter season because of less vitamin D from decrease in sun exposure? Maybe it is the many holidays during these months bringing people closer together and increasing the chance to spread infection.
In a study from Edinburgh, United Kingdom looking at other human coronaviruses, researchers suggested:
“coronaviruses displayed marked winter seasonality between the months of December and April and were not detected in summer months, which is comparable to the pattern seen with influenza viruses.”
William Bryan, science and technology adviser to the Department of Homeland Security, said that government scientists found ultraviolet rays had a potent impact on the pathogen, offering hope its spread may ease over the summer.
It has long been known that ultraviolet light has a sterilizing effect, because the radiation damages the virus’s genetic material and its ability to replicate. But the bigger question is “what ultraviolet light” is most effective.
See we know that sunlight has 3 ultraviolet wavelengths:
UVA and UVB penetrate the Earth’s surface and is the reason why you get sunburns.
UVC light has a short wavelength so doesn’t penetrate Earth’s surface but also inactivates many deadly viruses.
UVC is used by some hospital disinfecting robots but because it is highly dangerous to the skin and eyes, many experts advise caution.
So what we need to know is if UVA and UVB light that reach the Earth’s surface was the light that government scientists found. If that is the case, then the summer months might potentially see a decrease in COVID-19 infections. But if it is UVC light that doesn’t penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere, then we are going to be disappointed.
If cold temperatures do in fact create an environment for enveloped viruses to thrive, can saunas and hot showers have any therapeutic effect against COVID-19?
If you have ever had the cold with a stuffy nose and a cough, you might have felt better after taking a hot steamy shower. Now why is that? Hot showers help when you have a cold because they help break up congestion by warming your nasal passages, soothe your aching muscles and dilate blood vessels thus helping with your headache. And there are actually some studies suggesting warm air from showers can help.
This video goes over these questions so watch to get those answers!
-Dr. Yo
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