Gloves, night, heating ... why autumn increases the risk of Covid

We never really like to say “goodbye” on sunny days.

This year, the arrival of autumn, officially started on Tuesday, also brings about legitimate concerns: with the sun, it is a natural protection against the Covid-19 which is moving away from us.

With the virus having spread to the northern hemisphere earlier this year, no one knows exactly how it will react to the new season.

However, this leads to climate change which is

unfavorable to us.

The days, for example, are shorter, reducing the amount of sunshine.

However, it is commonly accepted that viruses do not appreciate ultraviolet rays.

Above all, while a first wave of cold and rain is expected to hit the country this weekend, our behavior is likely to change.

Aggravating, if we do not pay attention, the risk of transmission of the coronavirus.

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"We know that aerosols are quickly dispersed outdoors, for example on the terrace," illustrates virologist Yves Gaudin, from the Institute for Integrative Cell Biology (I2BC) in Paris-Saclay.

The problem in winter is that we will tend to leave the terraces and lock themselves in without ventilation.

"

Director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Geneva, Antoine Flahault confirms.

"Viruses have a propensity to spread more easily in poorly ventilated spaces where there are a lot of people," he notes.

We must have it in mind, at a time when we are about to seal off more than in recent months.

"

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It is advisable to ventilate the rooms, several times an hour if possible, even if it means being temporarily cold.

"A disease is the relationship between a microbe and its host, not a story of drafts," recalls, within the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches (Hauts-de-Seine), the infectious disease specialist Benjamin Davido.

Be careful, moreover, not to abuse central heating: the latter tends to dry out the atmosphere and weaken the mucous membranes.

Dressing up well, including a scarf and hat, is preferable.

As long as you remember that a neck strap cannot act as a mask.

It's even the opposite: some researchers think that filtering the droplets through this kind of accessory could make them even smaller and therefore… more formidable!

It is advisable to put on your mask first, then only to put on the scarf.

Plants not recommended

Gloves, too, should be handled with care.

“With gloves, we tend to touch all surfaces, to believe in a situation of protection and to forget more easily to wash the hands, warns Benjamin Davido.

All barrier gestures must be kept in mind.

"

Also be careful not to crack at the level of food.

While winter is often synonymous with relaxation, with greater emphasis on fat, a healthy and balanced diet is always recommended so as not to destabilize its immune defenses.

Finally, there is no point in rushing without prescription on vitamin food supplements, or to chain herbal teas.

In April, a note from the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) warned against a series of plants that could “interfere with the immune response” of our body.

That's the whole danger: in winter, the risk factors for the virus sometimes look very comforting.