Professor Chris Witte, the government's chief medical advisor, says the second wave of COVID-19 infection may be more deadly than the first if it arrives in winter.
Professor Whitty made the comments during an in-depth interview on the Internet for Gresham College in London Thursday evening.
Professor Whitetti said, "Like the point I raised with influenza epidemics, it is quite reasonable for the second wave to be more severe than the first if not mitigated."
Professor Witty continued explaining four possible ways in which winter could change the method of transmission of COVID-19.
It is not yet known if there is a seasonal component of COVID-19 but given the fact that it is a respiratory disease in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK it can see a rise in transmission speed.
Professor Whitetti also said that the second wave will be difficult to manage in the winter because people will develop COVID-19 conditions but it turns out that they are not.
This makes the symptom approach more difficult because if someone had symptoms of COVID-19 in the summer, they would likely have COVID-19.
In the winter season, there will be many cases that look like COVID-19 but it is not what makes identification with HIV infected more difficult without testing.
The third variable that can multiply any fight against a second wave is the increased demand in the NHS.
Viruses spread more easily in the winter, putting the NHS under more pressure than it would be during the spring or summer.
There was something positive out of Professor Witty's speech online.
If social spacing persists in the winter, this will slow down the flu and other upper respiratory infections (URTIs).
