Dry, cold weather may be more favourable for viruses like COVID-19.
That's according to Colin Furness, an epidemiologist from the University of Toronto.
He tells KitchenerToday with Brian Bourke on 570 NEWS the potential for a second wave increases as we inch closer to winter.
"All viruses like dry, cold air a lot more than warm, humid air, so they're certainly a lot better preserved in the winter. And of course we do something else in the winter -- we go inside and we share air a lot. We don't know why we have a flu season, why viruses love winter."
Furness says the focus should be on hand hygiene.
"I would much rather we focus on droplets and shared air and didn't spend quite as much time concerned with surfaces. Surfaces can make you sick, but good hand hygiene is the thing there."
He says it's not as likely that you'll get sick from touching contaminated surfaces.
"One little [virus particle] at the end of your finger isn't going to do it. You need a certain level, a certain dose, a certain amount of virus in order to really get infected. We don't know what that number is and we also don't know how much of the virus you pick up with your finger when you touch a contaminated door. So it's technically possible and we know it can happen."
- KitchenerToday.com/Rogers Media
