By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti believes that the hot temperatures we are experiencing may help us when it comes to COVID-19 exposure.
"It doesn't necessarily show a strong robustness in hotter climates," Baldetti said. "It does not like low humidity climates, as well. These 90 degree days certainly play in the favor of how long this virus can actually stand on its own outside of a body."
That means if we can keep up our vigilance in taking current measures, we can likely further mitigate the spread of the disease.
"I think that especially needs to be taken into account in indoor activities," Baldetti said. "I think there's less of a heightened sense, I think there's some leeway there when you're attending outdoor activities, at least from what we can see right now."
Mask wearing and respiratory etiquette and frequent handwashing are all still advised and when things cool back down in the fall, things will likely bounce back up.
"There needs to be an expectation that we are going to see a resurgence of activity in terms of new cases," Baldetti said. "This viral body shows a stronger resilience in cooler, more tepid temperatures. People gravitate inside, they cluster more in enclosed spaces. Those are the exact variables that have been shown to be conducive for spreading COVID-19."
As of Friday morning, there was only one active case of COVID-19 in Reno County.