Direction of pedagogy and psychology group 204 student rakhmatkhojayeva diloromkhon

DIRECTION OF PEDAGOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY GROUP 204 STUDENT RAKHMATKHOJAYEVA DILOROMKHON


Health Matters: Cold Weather and COVID-19

Posted by:Owen Landeg, Camilla Ghiassee and Ishani Kar-Purkayastha, Posted on:11 November 2020 - Categories:Coronavirus (COVID-19), Health Matters

The latest edition of Health Matters, PHE’s professional resource, focuses on the effects of cold weather on health, looking at how COVID-19 amplifies cold-related risks and actions that can be taken to prevent harm, particularly to the most vulnerable. This blog provides a summary of the full edition’s content.

Cold weather and health

The risk of death increases as temperatures fall, so periods of extremely low temperatures can cause significant harm. However, adverse impacts on health are seen even at outdoor temperatures that might be considered relatively mild (4 to 8°C).

The human body responds in several different ways to exposure to cold weather and it can have both direct and indirect effects on our health.

Cold-related deaths represent the biggest weather-related source of mortality in England. On average, there are approximately 35,000 excess winter deaths (EWDs) each year in England and Wales and there are a number of complex factors that contribute to them.

We may assume that hypothermia is the primary cause of deaths related to cold weather, however heart and lung conditions, as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s are the leading causes. Whilst the greatest impact is seen in older age groups, EWDs do occur across all age groups.

We also know what EWDs represent a significant health inequality, with those experiencing greater deprivation more likely to be affected.