Before discussing the effects of climate change on COVID-19, I’d like to precede by stating that this illness is not impossible to defeat. Fortunately, scientists all around the world are working tirelessly to find a vaccine for this illness. And even though life in the present may seem abnormal; with nationwide quarantines and the closing of schools and more, by staying at home and taking the necessary precautions, we will be able to conquer this difficult time together.
I’d like to acknowledge all the hardworking doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in the world who willingly put their lives on the line to help patients fighting COVID-19. We all salute you and are extremely grateful for your efforts.
Now you must be wondering how does climate change affect COVID-19? Here’s some speculation around why: according to the magazine Scientific American, “scientists have long known that the rise in average global temperatures is expanding the geographical presence of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever because the animals that transmit them are adapting to more widespread areas.” For several decades, it’s been made apparent by the scientific community that rising temperatures can cause certain diseases such as malaria and dengue fever to spread with greater frequency since there is no longer a geographical barrier. But this very predicament is said to affect diseases like COVID-19 as well; according to the same source, “the higher ambient temperatures expected with the changing climate could, however, favor pathogens that will be more difficult for people’s bodies to fight.”
The way these processes work is like the following: naturally, humans create body heat since we are mammals. This temperature barrier naturally prevents many organisms, such as viruses and bacteria, from obtaining human hosts and making us sick. However, with rising temperatures in climate, this temperature barrier that humans have would be vulnerable to those viruses and bacteria, and those new mutating viruses could adapt to become closer to human body temperature. This would also attack another defense mechanism humans have: our immune system. According to the magazine Scientific American, “scientists in Tokyo also discovered that heat reduced mice’s immune response to a flu virus….The study authors found immune systems of the mice exposed to the highest ambient temperature did not fight the virus as effectively as the other two groups.” This shows how increased temperatures experienced through climate change could make it very challenging to recover from illness if one happens to catch it.
Although scientists appear to be discovering new links between climate change and communicable diseases such as COVID-19, this research is still ongoing and incomplete. We do not entirely know the implications of climate change on illnesses such as COVID-19, but with more experimentation and research, scientists will be able to confirm the severity of such consequences. Both COVID-19 and climate change are problems that need to be solved, and hopefully, with ample research and the correct actions, we can conquer both.
Sources (for Article):
Goudarzi, Sara. “How a Warming Climate Could Affect the Spread of Diseases Similar to COVID-19.” Scientific American. Scientific American, April 29, 2020. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-a-warming-climate-could-affect-the-spread-of-diseases-similar-to-covid-19/.
Sources (for Images):
Image 1: COVID-19
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/what-covid-19-and-climate-change-have-in-common
Image 2: Rising temperatures
