Coronavirus ‘doesn’t like heat’ & stops being so infectious at just +30°C – Russian health watchdog

Hot summer days may finally rid humanity of the Covid-19 scourge as the virus becomes almost non-infectious at air temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Russian consumer watchdog.

"The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 doesn't like the heat and loses its infectious activity almost entirely at temperatures of over plus 30 Celsius," Rospotrebnadzor said. The watchdog was replying to questions on a government website dedicated to Russia's battle against the pandemic.

Direct sunlight and low humidity are also among the factors that make the disease weaker, while plus 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) is the temperature at which the coronavirus completely deactivates, they added.

Russia has so far recorded 187,859 cases of coronavirus, with 1,723 deaths linked to the disease. Moscow, which has become the epicenter of the outbreak, has prolonged its lockdown until the end of May, and will also introduce a mask-wearing regime in public places from next week.

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