COVID-19 Pandemic – Possible implications and effects of monsoons in the Indian sub-continent.

Renjith VishnuRadhan, Eldho T I, Ankita Misra, Jayakrishnan P R, Zaki Zainudin

The world is facing an unprecedented time owing to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. The research community is racing to find a solution to contain the outbreak, leading to the proposals of many possible routes of the virus transmission and its dynamics. The Indian sub-continent is about to experience the monsoon season, which often leads to heavy rainfall and flooding in the region, affecting the urban areas the most. In this communication, we list out the possible outcomes of the synergistic interaction between the ongoing pandemic and the monsoon season in urban regions and megacities. Some of the risk factors emanating from the interaction are the impacts on seasonal monsoon-related disease transmission, sewerage effluents, and potable water sources. We also discuss some socio-economic aspects of the implications of monsoon during the pandemic time, such as transport disruptions and increased pressure on the accessibility to the health care systems. We hope that the communication shall bring forth stimulating discussion and detailed investigations regarding the dimensions of monsoon impact. In addition to this, the observations shall aid the policymakers and governance systems in charting out the best fit mitigation and adaptation strategies to tackle the perils of COVID-19 during the monsoon season.