[NFBOH-Cleveland] Coronavirus Disease: Myth vs. Fact

[Suzanne Turner]

Coronavirus Disease: Myth vs. Fact

Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H.

, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins

 

There's a lot of information circulating about COVID-19, the disease caused
by the new coronavirus, so it's important to know what's true and what's
not. Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., senior director of infection prevention
at Johns Hopkins, helps clarify information to help keep you and your family
healthy and safe.

 

TRUE or FALSE? A vaccine to cure COVID-19 is available.

 

The answer is false.

 

There is no vaccine for the new coronavirus right now. Scientists have
already begun working on one, but developing a vaccine that is safe and
effective in human beings will take many months.

 

TRUE or FALSE? You can protect yourself from COVID-19 by swallowing or
gargling with bleach, taking acetic acid or steroids, or using essential
oils, salt water, ethanol or other substances.

 

The answer is false.

 

None of these recommendations protects you from getting COVID-19, and some
of these practices may be dangerous. The best ways to protect yourself from
this coronavirus (and other viruses) include:

 

Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, using soap and hot water.

 

Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, sneezing or coughing.

 

In addition, you can avoid spreading your own germs by coughing into the
crook of your elbow and staying home when you are sick.

 

TRUE or FALSE? The new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by
people.

 

The answer is false.

 

Viruses can change over time. Occasionally, a disease outbreak happens when
a virus that is common in an animal such as a pig, bat or bird undergoes
changes and passes to humans. This is likely how the new coronavirus came to
be.

 

TRUE or FALSE? Ordering or buying products shipped from overseas will make a
person sick.

 

The answer is false.

 

Researchers are studying the new coronavirus to learn more about how it
infects people. As of this writing, the World Health Organization (WHO) says
that the likelihood of becoming infected with COVID-19 from a commercial
package is low since it has likely traveled over several days and been
exposed to different temperatures and conditions during transit.

 

TRUE or FALSE? A face mask will protect you from COVID-19.

 

The answer is false.

 

Certain models of professional, tight-fitting respirators (such as the N95)
can protect health care workers as they care for infected patients.

 

For the general public without respiratory illness, wearing lightweight
disposable surgical masks is not recommended. Because they don't fit
tightly, they may allow tiny infected droplets to get into the nose, mouth
or eyes. Also, people with the virus on their hands who touch their face
under a mask might become infected.

 

People with a respiratory illness can wear these masks to lessen their
chance of infecting others. Bear in mind that stocking up on masks makes
fewer available for sick patients and health care workers who need them.

 

 

n More about Coronavirus (COVID-19)

 

Symptoms and Diagnosis
<https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/index.html#symptoms> 

Frequently Asked Questions
<https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/index.html#faq> 

Protecting Yourself and Others
<https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/index.html#protection> 

For Parents and Caregivers
<https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/index.html#parents> 

 

 



You Can Help! 

Support Johns Hopkins' COVID-19 Response 

Our clinical teams -  doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff - are
working around the clock to help patients with this dangerous disease. Our
scientists are tirelessly pressing onward to expose the biology of COVID-19,
advance testing capacity, and develop both a preventive vaccine and a
curative treatment.

Giv <https://secure.jhu.edu/form/covid19> 

 

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