By Wyatt McInerney
In the age of COVID-19, like many people, I have been hanging out with people outside to pass the time and really stay sane. We have had great warm weather allowing us to be able to be outside well into October, but winter is coming and that will likely send everyone back inside.
It appears that some people have started to think that we are past the worst of it, and that it is time to get on with our lives. But according to a report by NPR, there was a record 83,000 new cases on Friday in the U.S. For reference, this number surpasses the previous record of 77,000 cases in mid-July.
So as much as people want to come together, especially during the holidays, it is important to stay smart.
Winter will bring many troubles. It will be too cold to be outside and meet with people; therefore, people will start to meet inside. That’s when things could get bad.
According to William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, “In such a tightly enclosed space without vigorous air movement for a short period of time, I’m afraid you might be exposed.” When outside, there is much more space from others, and much more natural airflow.
Another thing that cold weather brings is worries of a third wave which could be the worst outbreak yet. Projections shown by the Coronavirus Tracker from the University of Washington shows many scenarios in the upcoming winter. By their projections, the absolute best case scenario for average deaths per day is about 1,000, about the same as now. This number is obviously not good. The worst case scenario according to these projections is almost 4,000.
Winter is coming, and it’s coming fast.
