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Ex-health chief: New coronavirus may become less infective in warmer weather

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/02/07/20200205-manila-coronavirus-jc-5507.jpg"/><figcaption>Pedestrians are seen wearing masks as a precaution against the new coronavirus in Manila, February 5, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - The 2019 Novel Coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) may become less infective when the weather gets warmer, a former health secretary said Friday.&quot;It will probably be affected by the season. As the weather gets better, warmer, then the virus is probably going to be a little less infective,&quot; Dr. Esperanza Cabral told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Early Edition.&quot;An international health expert, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/5/21122758/coronavirus-outcomes-pandemic-travel-china-map?__c=1">in a report on US website Vox</a>, described coronaviruses as &quot;winter viruses.&quot;&quot;When the weather is warm and moist, these viruses don’t spread as well as when the weather is cold and dry,&quot; said Dr. Tony Fauci, head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus">World Health Organization</a>.The 2019-nCoV ARD, which originated from a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that sells exotic animals, is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. As coronavirus infections continue to rise, Cabral, who served as health chief during the term of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the outbreak may last for a few months.&quot;As a matter of fact, the number of cases reported doubles every week. So if this continues by the end of February, we will be looking at 400,000 [infection] cases and 800 deaths from coronavirus in China,&quot; she said.As of Friday, the novel coronavirus has claimed at least 636 lives and infected more than 30,000 others in China as of Friday.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/07/20/china-virus-death-toll-rises-to-at-least-630-government">China virus death toll hits 636, more than 30,000 infections </a></li></ul>The Philippines, which experiences a &quot;<a href="http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/information/climate-philippines">hot dry season</a>&quot; that starts from March to May, has also recorded 3 confirmed cases, including 1 death, all Chinese travelers from Wuhan. The health department is also monitoring 178 people for possible infection, including 147 who were admitted in hospitals.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/05/20/philippines-confirms-3rd-new-coronavirus-case">Philippines confirms 3rd new coronavirus case </a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/06/20/cumulative-ph-tally-of-patients-under-watch-for-2019-ncov-climbs-to-178">Cumulative PH tally of patients under watch for 2019-nCoV climbs to 178</a></li></ul><div>&#x27;AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE&#x27;</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ho6l8KhN2-8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>To stem the spread of the disease, Cabral urged the public to maintain good personal hygiene.&quot;Avoid touching your face as much as you can because the virus enters through the mucous membranes. It&#x27;s in our mouth, nose and eyes,&quot; she said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/04/20/who-to-public-hand-hygiene-better-than-face-masks-in-guard-vs-new-coronavirus">WHO to public: Hand hygiene better than face masks in guard vs new coronavirus</a></li></ul>Wearing face mask to ward off the illness is not required, except the sick, health workers and those exposed to crowded places, Cabral said.Cloth masks, she added, don&#x27;t work against viral illnesses.&quot;For viruses, the cloth masks don&#x27;t work. Cloth masks are okay for dust coming from the Taal Volcano ashfall, but not for preventing viral illness,&quot; Cabral said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/04/20/deped-discourages-class-suspensions-over-2019-ncov-outbreak">DepEd &#x27;discourages&#x27; class suspensions over 2019-nCoV outbreak </a></li></ul>Canceling classes or reducing school days due to the threat of the virus is unnecessary, the former health secretary said.&quot;It&#x27;s not really necessary. It&#x27;s an overreaction... What&#x27;s the use of going to school for 3 days and not going to school for 2 days. On the days when they go to school, they are equally exposed to whatever it is they fear they&#x27;re going to be exposed [to],&quot; Cabral said.Asked about the government&#x27;s response to the outbreak, she admitted that the Department of Health is &quot;always playing catch-up&quot; as the agency is swamped with work.&quot;They are doing their best. I think we should help them by heeding their advice, by staying calm, because there&#x27;s no good can come out in panicking... Right now, they need all the help they can get,&quot; Cabral said.

MANILA - The 2019 Novel Coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) may become less infective when the weather gets warmer, a former health secretary said Friday.

MANILA - The 2019 Novel Coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) may become less infective when the weather gets warmer, a former health secretary said Friday.