The Novel Coronavirus Pandemic: Facts and Preventive Tips

As with nearly all major countries in the world right now, the US is experiencing a pandemic. This time, it’s the 2019 novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It’s forcing many states to order business closures and other “social distancing” measures to try to stop its spread. But at the same time, plenty of people are trying to sow misinformation about the pandemic or take advantage of people online. So I’m writing this post to help set things straight and give you tips on how to get through this rough time.

What Is the 2019 Novel Coronavirus?

The general public usually uses the word “coronavirus” to refer to this virus. But it’s not exactly accurate. That’s because coronavirus is a large family of viruses, which the 2019 novel coronavirus belongs to. This family also contains the SARS virus (SARS-CoV; caused an outbreak in 2003) and the MERS virus (MERS-CoV; caused outbreaks in 2012, 2015, and 2018).

“Novel coronavirus” is just a temporary name, meaning a new and yet to be identified coronavirus. It has since been given the official name SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), and the disease it causes is COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). Despite its similarity to the original SARS virus in name, it’s not the same one and is only about 70% similar to it genetically. In order not to confuse the public, health officials instead prefer to use terms like “the COVID-19 virus”.

Where Did the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Come From?

The first case appeared in Wuhan, China, leading some people, including government officials, to call it the “Wuhan coronavirus” and other similar names. But the World Health Organization (WHO), the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and other health organizations don’t use terminology that refers to its origin because it can lead to stigma and violence against people from (or perceived to be from) that region. Already there have been reports of Asian Americans being harassed or attacked because of it.

Despite the conspiracy theories online that say the 2019 novel coronavirus was engineered in some lab, it almost certainly has a natural origin. It’s similar to other coronaviruses in bats and other animals, so it most likely transferred over to humans through one of them (probably a bat or a pangolin). After that, it spread from person-to-person.

What Are the Symptoms of COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. It mainly spreads from person-to-person through tiny droplets expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even exhales (talking counts too). Generally the symptoms are “flu-like”, and the most common ones are

fever
dry cough
fatigue

Some less common symptoms are

shortness of breath
runny/stuffy nose
aches/pains
sore throat
loss of smell/taste
gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

The symptoms start appearing 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Most people have mild symptoms (or even no symptoms), but about 20% of people develop severe symptoms that can lead to complications like pneumonia and even death. Those most at risk of severe symptoms include pregnant women, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, and people with hypertension, lung disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It’s also worth noting that the symptoms can vary widely between individuals.

If you only have minor symptoms, you can alleviate them using many of the same methods for the common cold. Note that these only help the symptoms, not cure COVID-19.

Mild infections typically last less than 2 weeks. More severe infections can last 3-6 weeks. Death from the disease can occur anywhere from 2-8 weeks after symptoms appear.

Myths About COVID-19

Health officials note that there is another pandemic going on at the same time: an “information pandemic”. COVID-19 is the first severe worldwide pandemic in the social media age. Because of the speed of communication these days, misinformation is running rampant, some of it deliberate and some of it accidental. You might have heard or believed some of these myths yourself. The result is a very confused and misguided public. So here, I’m going to address some of those myths.

This is “Just Like the Flu”

Although the symptoms may be flu-like, COVID-19 is not like the flu because of two things: contagiousness and lethality. Without preventive measures, people with the flu virus generally infect only 1 to 2 other people (basic reproduction number is 1.2-1.4), whereas people with COVID-19 infect 1-4 other people (basic reproduction number is 1.4-3.9). The flu’s fatality rate is about 0.1%, while COVID-19’s is roughly 10 times that. In other words, COVID-19 is much more contagious and deadly than the flu.

You might be thinking a 99% survival rate sounds pretty harmless, but in pandemics, what matters is the scale. The US has a population of roughly 300 million. If one third of the population gets infected (a low estimate compared to projections from other countries if we do nothing to prevent it), that’s 100 million sick people. Assuming a 1% fatality rate, that means 1 million dead. Not so harmless now, is it?

Young People Are Immune

No age group is immune to the virus. Younger people are less likely to get severe symptoms, but there are plenty of cases where otherwise healthy, young people became very sick and died. No matter how young you are, you’re not invincible. Don’t risk it.

In addition, even if you don’t get severe symptoms, you could be spreading the virus if you disregard preventive measures. Beating the 2019 novel coronavirus requires effort from everyone, so don’t be selfish and ruin the sacrifices others made.

(Insert Fake Cure Here) Can Cure COVID-19

As of December 2020, there are NO approved cures for COVID-19. A vaccine is the only way to truly protect you against the virus, and you need to take it BEFORE you get sick. While a few vaccines are now ready, it will still be months before it’s widely available for the public. Although some of the fake cures are relatively harmless (ex. eating garlic), some are potentially deadly (ex. drinking bleach). Use common sense.

Some of these fake cures include UV light, antibiotics, colloidal silver, rinsing your nose with saline, using cleaning agents or hand dryers on your skin, vaccines for pneumonia, avoiding ice cream, gargling with salt water, and the two aforementioned examples.

The websites that promote false cures can infect your computer with malware or try to steal your personal data. Thousands of these sites are being created on a daily basis, so be very careful about what you click on. In addition, there are also malicious apps out there that are trying to take advantage of the pandemic, too. Don’t fall for these scams.

COVID-19 Will Go Away Once Warmer Weather Arrives

Spring and summer came and passed and the pandemic is still far from over. From the start, it seemed unlikely since it could be transmitted in regions that were hot and/or humid. Plus, warmer weather made people want to get out of their houses more and go to crowded places like the beach.

In addition, even if it was true, there’s a Southern Hemisphere. When the Northern Hemisphere gets to the warmer seasons, the Southern Hemisphere does the opposite. Since COVID-19 is truly a worldwide problem, that means it’ll just spread in the Southern Hemisphere during the Northern Hemisphere’s warmer seasons and then return to the Northern Hemisphere when colder seasons come back.

Hot and/or Cold Temperatures Can Kill the 2019 Novel Coronavirus

The human body normally stays at a relatively constant temperature regardless of the outside temperature. So taking a hot bath or staying out in cold weather won’t help at all if you have the virus. In fact, taking a very hot bath can damage your skin, and cold weather can stress your immune system.

Mosquito Bites Can Transfer COVID-19

There’s no evidence backing this claim so far. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that spreads via airborne droplets or by touching surfaces where they land.

COVID-19 Is a Conspiracy

There are plenty of idiotic conspiracy theories out there ranging from COVID-19 being some kind of bioweapon to it being a government tool to control the public. China’s government even tried to spread its own conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was spread by US soldiers. All of these fall flat when you consider all the real world evidence. The people spreading these rumors know that when people panic, they’re less likely to think things through carefully. Help stop the misinformation pandemic by ignoring these completely.

Preventive Tips

While we may not have a cure for COVID-19 yet, there’s a lot we can do to help stop its spread. You may have heard the term “flatten the curve” as the goal of preventive measures. This is referring to reducing the rate of new infections to a manageable level. When plotting the number of new infections over time, the graph, or “curve”, typically looks like a sharp hill, with a steep climb followed by a rounded peak and then followed by a steep decline. Preventive measures “flatten the curve”, reducing the height of and delaying the peak and spreading the new infections out over a longer time.

The goal isn’t necessarily to reduce the total number of infections over the course of the outbreak (though that can happen) but to keep the peak from going above the capacity of local medical facilities. If the peak does go over, things start to go bad really fast. Doctors and other health professionals will have to see more patients in overcrowded conditions. They’ll start running out of supplies for both treating patients and for protecting themselves. As a result, those health professionals start getting sick themselves, leaving fewer of them to care for more patients. The vicious downward cycle just keeps continuing, and you end up with a lot more people dead.

So these are some tips for helping “flatten the curve”:

Practice “Social Distancing”

Since the COVID-19 virus mainly travels from person-to-person through tiny droplets, it’s very important to keep your distance from others. Avoid large gatherings of people for the same reason. The term health officials use for this is “social distancing”. They advise that people should stay 1-2 m (3.3-6.6 ft) away from each other. This applies to everyone since people who may not have symptoms yet (or at all) may still be carriers of the virus.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean you have to cut off ALL contact with people. The WHO began using the term “physical distancing” because it didn’t want people to stop supporting each other socially (especially sick people in quarantine). You can still chat online, text each other, and give each other a call.

Wash Your Hands and Avoid Touching Your Face

One of the best ways to keep yourself safe from infection is to wash your hands frequently with regular soap and water. This is true not just for COVID-19 but for most bacterial and viral diseases. People touch a lot of things throughout the day, and then they proceed to touch their face (specifically eyes, nose, and mouth) without washing their hands. Seriously, don’t do that. That’s one of the main ways pathogens get into your body. If soap and water aren’t available, hand sanitizer will work as well. Just make sure it’s at least 60% alcohol.

When washing your hands, make sure to wash them for at least 20 seconds. Some people suggest singing a short song to help you remember. Also make sure to wash your thumbs and underneath your nails.

Disinfect Surfaces That People Frequently Touch

The 2019 novel coronavirus can stay viable on a variety of surfaces for a long time. It can last 4 hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, and 3 days on stainless steel and plastic. That’s a lot of time for the virus to be picked up by people. Surfaces that people frequently touch like doorknobs, countertops, and light switches all need to be cleaned regularly. Most home disinfectants and rubbing alcohol will work.

Wear Some Kind of Face Mask in Public

The CDC advises that everyone wear some kind of face mask when in public, especially in places where social distancing is difficult (ex. supermarkets, pharmacies). This is because people who don’t have symptoms yet or at all can still be transmitting the virus. The mask will help catch those tiny droplets from the mouth or nose. It’s mainly to help prevent spreading the disease, not necessarily to prevent you from getting infected, since the virus can still enter your body through your eyes. But new evidence from the CDC says a mask can definitely help reduce the number of viruses entering your body if you’re exposed to it, thus reducing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. So you really have no excuse for not wearing a mask at this point.

In addition, note that wearing a mask isn’t an excuse to stop social distancing or following a stay-at-home order. Also, if you don’t have any facial protection on (such as when eating at an outdoor dining area), cough/sneeze into a tissue or your bent elbow, not your hands. You should be doing this always, regardless if you’re sick or not.

What Kind of Mask Should You Wear?

Ideally, that mask is an N95 mask, but it’s best to leave those for medical professionals who really need them. Many of them are facing such shortages that they have to reuse the same mask over and over (they’re supposed to be one-time use) with a removable (hence replaceable) outer cover made from surgical sheeting. If you happen to have one, make sure to follow all instructions on how to properly put it on and take it off. A surgical mask will also work, albeit less effectively, but those should also be left for medical professionals.

An N95 face mask. Leave these and surgical masks for health professionals!

Note that if using an N95 or surgical mask, there is no way to sanitize it, except with a recently developed technique by Battelle using vapor-phase hydrogen peroxide. But that’s currently very limited in availability and certainly not something you can try at home. Sanitizing fluids will destroy the integrity of the material, making it useless at stopping pathogens.

If you don’t have an N95 or a surgical mask, what kinds of masks should you use? First, you should avoid any kind of mask that has a valve. They just let the air you exhale right out. In fact, they might even be worse than no mask because they concentrate all that air into the valve, which can end up projecting it outward with more force than normal. Also avoid neck fleeces (aka neck gaiters or gaiter masks) because the material they’re generally made of can turn large respiratory droplets into smaller ones, which can stay airborne longer.

What you should look for instead is a tightly-woven 100% cotton or silk mask with two or three layers. You might see this labeled as “2-ply” or “3-ply”, respectively. Even better is a multi-layered cotton/silk mask that has a slot where you can insert a thin filter made of non-woven polypropylene (the same stuff surgical masks are made of). Depending on the thread count of the cotton/silk layers, those masks can approach or even match the effectiveness of N95 masks. Polypropylene has a tendency to carry a static charge, which makes respiratory droplets stick to it. If you have nothing else, a bandanna, scarf, or other cloth covering can serve as a last-resort replacement.

In general, higher thread counts and more layers mean more protection. Since you probably won’t find the thread count on the label, hold up the fabric to a light and check to see if you can see the individual threads easily. If you can, the thread count is probably too low.

It’s worth noting that fit and comfort are just as important as the material of the mask. The mask needs to fit tightly over your nose and chin and stay flush to your face around the edges. Otherwise, the air you exhale will just flow out around the mask rather than through it. If your glasses fog up when wearing a mask, it means your mask isn’t fitting right over your nose. It also doesn’t matter how good the mask is if you take it off a lot because it’s not comfortable. Get a mask that you think is both breathable and not too rough on your skin.

Act Early If You Have Any of the Symptoms of COVID-19

If you feel unwell, it’s best to stay at home. If you start having any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, call your doctor immediately. Whatever you do, don’t pretend like it’s nothing and go back to business as usual. You could be putting yourself and others at risk.

Follow Your Local Government

Your local government’s website has many resources, from up-to-date instructions for the general public to links to unemployment benefit applications. Check on it frequently to stay informed.

Stay at Home

Take your local government’s instructions seriously. Many states are issuing orders to close non-essential businesses and to stay at home whenever possible. Staying at home as much as possible minimizes the chance of you getting or spreading the infection.

Tips for Staying at Home

As a result of the pandemic, many people are now stuck at home either because of stay-at-home orders or because of job losses. Here are some tips to help you get through this tough time:

Make a Budget

If you don’t already have a budget, now’s a good time to make one. Money’s going to be tight for many people who have lost their jobs. Budgeting is a good way to help you control your finances.

Be Smart About Online Shopping

Chances are you’re going to be doing a lot more of your shopping online. But scammers know that, too. There are already plenty of reports of price gouging and other scams. Online retailers are trying to stop them, but they aren’t always able to keep up. That’s why you need to have good online shopping habits.

Pay Attention to Online Security

If you’re able to work or attend classes from home, know that your home may not have as good online security measures as your workplace/school. Follow good online security practices to help prevent any attacks or breaches.

Maintain Contact With Your Friends/Family

They’re probably going through a rough time, too. Supporting each other through regular contact (through electronic means, of course) is helpful in reducing stress and passing time.

Find Activities You Enjoy

Bored? Try finding a new hobby. Or read a book. Or binge-watch Netflix. The point is to find something you like doing at home. Boredom from staying at home is real, and if you don’t address it, you’re going to be very tempted to go outside and risk getting or spreading COVID-19.

What to Do If You’re Infected?

If you think you might have COVID-19, first stay at home and call your doctor in advance. Don’t just show up at a medical facility. This helps the facility run more efficiently (it might be overcrowded given current circumstances) and helps protect you from being infected (in the case that you don’t actually have COVID-19) and protect others from being infected by you. Your doctor will tell you what to do and direct you to the proper medical facility if necessary.

If your doctor tells you to stay at home because you have only mild symptoms and you live with others, do your best to physically isolate yourself. Don’t interact with any pets or share anything (if possible) and follow all the preventive measures described above in addition to any specific instructions from your doctor. If the symptoms get worse, immediately call your doctor or 9-1-1 and seek medical attention.

If you can be tested for COVID-19, you can stop home isolation after you meet ALL of these conditions: