Rising temperatures will not curb Covid-19: expert

Hotter temperatures will not help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to an expert. 

"If you maintain social distance and wear a mask, the infection rate of the disease may decrease, but the temperature alone does not work," Recep Tekin, an expert in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology at Dicle University in southeastern Turkey, told Anadolu Agency.

Pointing to the hot Mediterranean climate in southern Turkey, Tekin highlighted that the number of cases there has risen recently despite the high temperatures.

"If high temperatures had stemmed the virus completely, we should not have seen cases in Saudi Arabia or Africa," he added.

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Noting there will be hotter days in the coming weeks, he said people should not behave by relying on this but wear a mask, practice social distancing and observe hand hygiene regardless of the temperature.

As of Wednesday, Turkey had registered a total of 5,282 deaths due to the coronavirus, while over 187,511 people have recovered from the disease. Currently, there are more than 208,938 confirmed cases in the country.

Since originating in Wuhan, China last December, the pandemic has claimed over 551,000 lives in 188 countries and regions.

More than 12.1 million cases have been reported worldwide, while over 6.65 million people have recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.