With the emergence of the new crown on Mount Everest, will the virus exist for a long time due to low temperatures? Liang Zong'an: The possibility of the virus surviving on Everest is very small

Cover news reporter Liu Jian Wang Yuexin Ning Zhi

When the COVID-19 pandemic occurs on the world's highest mountain, will the climbers infected with the new crown virus pollute the Everest environment? Will the virus survive longer in the extremely low temperatures of Mount Everest?

Mount Everest (web image)

Recently, the news that an expedition team in the base camp of the southern slope of Mount Everest appeared as the first team member who tested positive for the nucleic acid of the new coronavirus has aroused the concerns of many climbers and the public.

So is it true that the virus will really exist on Mount Everest for a long time, as everyone fears? In this regard, on April 25, the cover news reporter interviewed Professor Liang Zongan, director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

Is it a question of whether people infected with the new crown virus will pollute the environment? Professor Leung said it was possible. "It depends on how the infected person handles it. For example, does he wear a mask? Whether the phlegm he coughed was wrapped in paper and taken down the mountain to burn it, etc., theoretically, it is possible for an infected person to bring the virus to Mount Everest. ”

So will the virus really survive on Everest longer? Professor Liang believes that the possibility of the virus surviving on Everest is relatively small.

"Theoretically, under the condition of an average of -20 degrees or more on Mount Everest, the virus will survive for a long time." For example, in a place dedicated to virus research, put the virus in a refrigerator at minus 80 degrees, then the virus can survive forever. In addition, products imported from abroad in the cold chain were found to have positive viral nucleic acid tests on their outer packaging, also because the temperature of cold chain logistics is extremely low.

However, in a real environment, the likelihood of virus survival is not the same. Professor Liang expounded his views from three aspects.

Professor Liang said that the new crown virus is an RNA virus that requires additional nutrition to replicate and grow, and once there is no nutrition, the virus will die.

Therefore, on Mount Everest, the virus must survive and grow for a long time, and if the external environment cannot provide nutrients, the possibility of survival is small.

"It's also important to change the temperature." Professor Liang said that in the process of refrigerator preservation and cold chain transportation, the temperature is basically constant, so the virus can often survive for a long time. But the temperature above Everest cannot be constant, the temperature will fluctuate and change in 24 hours of a day, these fluctuations and changes are not good for the virus, the virus may not be able to withstand the process of this temperature change, so the virus may also die.

In addition, Professor Liang said that there is sunlight on Mount Everest, and ultraviolet rays can also kill viruses.

"From these three perspectives, the likelihood that the virus will survive on Everest is greatly reduced." I personally believe that the possibility of the virus surviving on Everest is not absolutely nothing, it is relatively small. Professor Liang said.

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