What will happen to covid-19 cases in winter and how can we prepare?

By Adam Vaughan

A worker shovels snow during the winter months in Tokyo, Japan

Viola Kam/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

WITH hindsight, we may come to see late summer in the northern hemisphere as the calm before the storm. While many countries in the north have suppressed the spread of covid-19 for now, there is growing evidence warning us that winter could undo that progress.

Researchers are racing to pinpoint what role temperature and humidity may have in the spread and severity of the illness. They are exploring how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19, will interact with other seasonal respiratory viruses. And people are scouring …