Russo Responds to Concerns on COVID-19 Summer Spread

Updated April 30, 2020

Experts increasingly signal that the coronavirus is expected to spread during the summer, and officials in cities with histories of deadly heat waves are contemplating new strategies for addressing the threat of COVID-19 in summertime. “Now, I think the best-case scenario might be it slows down a bit, but I think we’re going to go with it straight through summer into the fall and next flu season,” says Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Russo said he doubts summer weather alone will be enough to diminish the need for preventive measures such as social distancing and the use of face masks.