Scientists ask: could summer heat help beat Covid-19?

Experts are watching carefully to see if this virus will follow the seasonal pattern of flu, but warn differences may be minor

Balmy days are coming, with temperatures forecast to reach 20C in some regions. The warm weather will bring welcome respite to lockdown Britain - and put pressure on authorities trying to control crowds and gatherings.

However, scientists also believe warm weather could bring new insights into the virus by showing whether it reacts to the onset of spring. Flu epidemics tend to die out as winter ends; could sunshine, similarly, affect the behaviour of the coronavirus and its spread? It is a key question, and epidemiologists will be watching for changes very closely.