Last night while we slept, Beijing’s latest snowfall set in. The People’s Capital has been getting a lot of snow recently, and the skies have more of the fluffy stuff a-brewing. In fact, this snowfall will be lucky number seven this winter and it’s going to be a biggie.
This snowfall is expected to continue over northeast China until Sunday, Feb 16. However, the majority of snowfall over urban Beijing will likely occur on Friday from 2 am until 8 pm.
It’s so tempting to go throw snowballs and make snow angels. But is it safe?
Think of it this way, play sessions in the snow are pretty hands-on, and while the kids are caught up in the excitement of being outside, they’re likely to forget about all the sanitation protocols you’ve drilled into their heads. Now that’s not to say the snow is filled with little viral particles — but if anyone has been playing in that same patch of snow, happened to sneeze on it and was also a virus carrier, there is a chance of transmission. Think of all the times your kids will touch their face to scratch an itch, brush the snow from their eyes, or wipe a runny nose.
According to Chinese magazine, Knowledge is Power, coronaviruses are less tolerant to heat, but can survive for hours in low temperatures and may even be made stronger by the cold. Conversely, the magazine also reported on the opinion of physical chemist Wang Linghang, who suggests that snowy weather may reduce aerosol transmission, though other factors like wind and temperature must be considered.
So, while the snow may help slow the spread of the virus, it’s far from a sure thing. Best to save snowman building for next year.
Though the coronavirus has reduced the number of cars on the road, it may have actually worsened coal-burning pollution as migrants have been returning to their hometowns in increasing numbers, where the coal-to-gas transition is yet to be completed, reports Beijing Daily.
The result: AQIs north of 250, giving us yet another reason to shut ourselves indoors. Fortunately, the snow and wind should do away with those pesky particles, leaving us with a sub-100 AQI by Friday evening, just in time for Valentine’s Day dinner at home.
But if you do end up playing outside in the snow, make your snowman in some virgin snow. Don’t touch your face or wipe your eyes. Wear gloves and mittens (you should do this anyway since it’s so cold outside). And most importantly, wash up properly afterward.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/transmission.html
Photo: Unsplash
