QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS TO KNOW ABOUT COVID-19
Can you briefly
explain what this novel coronavirus is?
Coronaviruses
are a large family of viruses. They’re pretty common in people, and they
usually cause just the common cold. They’re also found in many different
species of animals. Very rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect and spread
between people. Examples of animal coronaviruses that infect humans include:
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the one we’re dealing with now,
called SARS Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The
disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been named Coronavirus Disease 2019 and
abbreviated COVID-19. We first saw this virus in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.
SARS-CoV-2 is a Betacoronavirus, like MERS coronavirus and SARS coronavirus.
And all 3 have their origin in bats. [MERS-CoV likely jumped from bats to
dromedary camels in the distant past before appearing in humans.]
How does SARS-CoV-2
spread? And why is it spreading so quickly?
SARS-CoV-2
spreads very easily from person to person, and that’s why it’s spreading so
quickly. It spreads between people who are in close contact with one another
(within about 6 feet), through respiratory droplets. When an infected
person coughs or breathes out, those droplets are released. They travel a
very short distance then drop down onto surfaces around the patient.
This explains why it is also possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.
This explains why it is also possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.
What are the
incubation period and symptoms of COVID-19?
The
incubation period (amount of time between exposure to the virus and development
of symptoms of COVID-19) ranges from 1-14 days. It is most commonly 5-6 days,
and in some rare cases has been reported to be longer than 14 days.
The
most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, fatigue and myalgia
(achy muscles). Other less common symptoms include runny nose, headache, sore
throat, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
The
most worrisome outcome of this infection is pneumonia, which occurs if the
virus infects the lungs. If that happens, it will typically occur around the
end of the first week of infection to the beginning of the second week.
About
80% of people who are infected will have a mild-moderate illness that consists
of fever and dry cough. This will last about 2 weeks, and then they will get
better. About 14% will develop severe illness, and 6% will develop
life-threatening illness that consists of respiratory failure, septic shock and
organ failure.
Who is the most
vulnerable/high risk population?
The
most vulnerable population for this particular virus is those of older age, and
also those who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease,
lung disease or diabetes.
How can I protect
myself from the coronavirus?
There
are several ways you can protect yourself from SARS-CoV-2. The best way to
prevent acquiring this virus is avoid contact with someone who has it. That’s
where social distancing and hand hygiene come into play.
What is “social
distancing” and will it help?
Social
distancing is a term that’s applied to actions taken by public health officials
to stop or slow the spread of a highly contagious disease. Social distancing
measures restrict when and where people can gather in order to stop or slow the
spread of infectious diseases. Such measures include limiting large groups of
people coming together, closing buildings and canceling events, as well as
deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid contracting
an illness. Staying at least 6 feet away from other people lessens your chance
of catching this virus.
Why is staying at
home and “social distancing” important even for groups who are not at “high
risk?”
Anyone
can become infected, and anyone can transmit this virus to someone else. The
goal is to prevent the spread of the virus. A low risk individual, or
someone who has minimal or even no symptoms, can pass the virus on to someone
who is high risk. That’s what’s really concerning about this. The person may
not feel sick at all, and yet they can be a vehicle for passing this virus to
someone who is going to get very sick or even die from this virus.
How often and after
what activities should you cleanse your hands?
Wash
your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after going to the
bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing or after
touching a surface or object potentially contaminated with the novel
coronavirus.
There's been a spike
in people purchasing antibacterial hand soap. Will that actually help kill
germs more than regular soaps?
Soap
and warm water are my recommendation, with hand sanitizer being an option when
you do not have soap and water available. COVID-19 is caused by a virus.
Regular soap is suitable. You don’t need antibacterial soap; antibacterial
agents can hypothetically harm or kill your body's beneficial bacteria. It is
not advised to create your own "at-home" hand sanitizer,
since, in addition to alcohol, hand sanitizers often contain other components
to protect the skin, and getting the alcohol content right can be
challenging. The important thing is to be cleaning your hands.
Any other tips for
cleansing to keep yourself safe from germs?
Frequently
clean high-touch surfaces. Wash or sanitize hands after opening doors, touching
elevator buttons or other frequently-touched areas.
How easy is it
to get sick via germs from your phone?
According
to the CDC, the virus may remain for several hours to days on surfaces
like glass, metal and plastic. The CDC refers to phones and tablets as
"high touch" surfaces.
Phones
are conduits for many germs. It is possible to contract germs from your phone,
especially if touching it before touching your face or mouth without first
washing your hands.
Are there places
where you should avoid using your phone in order to prevent picking up
germs?
Avoid
putting your phone on a surface that has not been cleaned properly or where
someone exhibiting symptoms of illness may have sneezed or coughed.
We
don’t allow phones in the microbiology laboratory.
Make
sure to wipe down your phone in the following cases:
- Someone
has used your phone (especially if they are they are exhibiting symptoms
of illness).
- You
have left it on an unclean surface.
What's the best way
to clean your phone?
While
it is important to clean and disinfect your phone, you’ll want to do so in a
way that does not damage it. Though tempting to use, everyday disinfectant and
household cleaners could damage the phone. Some phone manufacturers recommend
using a soft, lint free microfiber cloth with warm soapy water. Make sure to
unplug and turn off the phone before cleaning. You should remove the case and
clean it separately. Refer to the case’s packaging or informational materials
for proper cleaning instructions. Ensure the case is dry before placing back on
the phone.
It is more important to wash your hands with soap and water on a regular basis.
It is more important to wash your hands with soap and water on a regular basis.
Do those UV lights
work?
ASM
is not aware of any studies examining the effectiveness of UV ray devices on
SARS-COV-2 specifically.
If I have symptoms of
COVID-19, what should I do?
The
symptoms associated with this virus are not any different than symptoms
associated with other viruses, so you can’t tell from your symptoms alone
whether you have this specific virus. Other viruses that are circulating at
this time, like influenza virus and adenovirus, can cause similar
symptoms.
If
you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your healthcare provider for
advice, and stay put. You don’t want to infect anyone else. If you’re severely
ill or have emergency warning signs, seek care immediately. Examples of
emergency warning signs include very severe difficulty breathing, persistent
pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or unexplained drowsiness, blue
lips or face.
If I’ve been around
someone who displayed symptoms, what should I do?
Many
people have been around people who have respiratory symptoms. As I mentioned,
respiratory symptoms can be caused by a number of viruses. Just because someone
around you has symptoms, doesn’t mean they have this virus, SARS-CoV-2. I think
in a case where you’re worried about exposure, you really need to assess the
situation on an individual basis, based on details of exposure and local spread
of the virus.
What is the testing
process for COVID-19?
First, we must collect a
specimen. This is a respiratory virus. So if we’re going to test for it, we
need a sample that comes from the respiratory tract. Most often this is called
a nasopharyngeal swab. It can also be tested for using a throat swab. And for
patients who have pneumonia or involvement in their lungs, we’ll test lower
respiratory secretions, like sputum.
I’ve
noted confusion amongst the general public about what testing means. I’d like
to clarify that there is much more to testing than just collecting a specimen.
The actual testing for this virus, and for many other infectious diseases, is
done in clinical microbiology laboratories. Testing in a laboratory is a
complicated process. The virus is an RNA virus, so tests are designed to pick
up the specific RNA of this virus, and not another virus or other
coronaviruses.
Before
this outbreak, we had no test for this virus. So clinical microbiology and
public health laboratories had to develop their own tests. Today, we also have
tests made by companies and sold to clinical microbiology or public health
laboratories to perform.
In
all of these tests there is a first step where RNA of the virus is extracted
from the patient specimen, a second step where the RNA is converted to DNA and
a third step where the DNA is amplified with DNA primers that are specific to
SARS-CoV-2. This is not a trivial type of test. It needs to be performed by
trained laboratorians to make sure it’s done correctly.
Once
the laboratory test is complete, the results are sent through a computer to the
patient’s electronic medical record and are available for viewing by healthcare
providers, and in many cases for patients to see as well.
Should everyone with
symptoms be tested?
Not
everyone with symptoms needs to be tested. The severely ill and hospitalized
need to be tested because we need to know whether they have this infection or
not for the management of their care and also to protect healthcare workers. In
more mild cases, it may not make a difference. It can make a difference in
terms of knowing whether a person needs to be quarantined, but at the end of
the day your healthcare provider should advise as to whether or not you should
be tested.
If I test positive,
what should I do?
If you test positive for SARS-CoV-2, you should
stay home to avoid infecting others, and you should contact your
healthcare provider for advice.
