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Health

Why do covid cases rise in summer, unlike other respiratory viruses?

Flu and other respiratory viruses seem to barely exist outside of winter, but covid-19 cases have consistently risen every summer over the past few years

By Carissa Wong

22 August 2024

Covid-19 is a risk all year round

Rosem Morton for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Traditionally, summer is the season of sunburn and allergies, while winter is a time for sniffles and flu, but now it seems one pathogen is upending our yearly cycle of medical maladies: the coronavirus behind covid-19.

This infection also increases in summer, driving a recent rise in cases and hospitalisations in countries such as the UK, US and France. In England, for example, , rising to more than 500 in mid-July.

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