Vaccine, outdoor activities could stave off COVID-19 increases seen last summer
May 23—HIGH POINT — Last year, hopes that summer would stunt the advance of the coronavirus pandemic never materialized.
As this summer prepares to unfurl, public health advocates express optimism that the outcome will be different. And the biggest reason comes as no surprise — the presence of COVID-19 vaccines that were in the early stages of study as last summer began.
"That's exactly what's different this year compared to last year," said Dr. Ashley Perrott, senior physician executive with the Novant Health Community Health & Wellness Institute in Winston-Salem.
Public health advocates want to avoid a repeat of the summer spike in cases last year.
There was an alarming rise in COVID-19 infections during June 2020 as cases increased in 40 states, including North Carolina. One of the challenges last summer was that more people than normal stayed inside for longer periods than a typical summer because of the virus threat, said Audrey Snyder, associate dean in the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
"When everyone is indoors and there's poor air circulation, there's an increased risk for transmitting the virus," Snyder told The High Point Enterprise.
"But this summer we have a big difference with all the restrictions lifted so people can be outdoors more."
During a briefing May 14, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that he was rolling back emergency orders that limited capacity at outdoor and indoor venues and imposed social distancing guidelines, as well as eliminating most mask restrictions.
Being active with family or friends outdoors — an activity that reaches a peak in the summer — reduces the opportunities for community spread of COVID-19, Perrott told The Enterprise.
Snyder said that public health advocates hope they see a decline in infections as more people get vaccinated and enjoy outdoor activities.
The benefits of the summer in countering COVID-19 could spring from the greater heat and humidity of the season. One example — mucus linings in the respiratory system thicken with humidity, allowing the mucus lining to trap viruses so they can be swept from the body before causing an infection.
Another aspect of the summer that may help reduce the spread of COVID-19 is more intense ultraviolet light, which can damage the virus in the outdoor air much like excessive exposure to summer sun can damage the cells of someone's skin.
Perrott said this summer may turn into a more productive one combatting the pandemic if only because people's awareness and experience have advanced since this time last year.
"People have learned a new way of life," Perrott said.
"Some of our behaviors, such as not shaking hands or washing our hands regularly, have minimized the way we expose each other to COVID."
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
