Avoid shipped packages/shopping carts/ATMs, or you’ll die.
No. Coronaviruses’ surface survival is one thing; that surface causing an infection is another. Wash your hands; live your life.
I can catch COVID-19 from ordering takeaway and Chinese food.
Wrong. COVID-19 is a droplet related infection (like flu) not a food-borne infection. There is no documented Covid risk with takeaway food.
If I lose my sense of smell, I have Covid.
False. It’s common to temporarily lose one’s sense of smell with many viral infections/allergies. It’s a non-specific symptom that may/may not happen with Covid.
I receive messages that using garlic/lemon with hot water/onion in the room will prevent or cure COVID-19. Is it true?
No. It’s just made-up stuff. None of these substances have been scientifically tested against Covid. Don’t share such posts; they create confusion.
Taking hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin preemptively is a good idea to prevent Covid.
Don’t. These drugs should be used in selected Covid patients. They can sometimes cause fatal heart rhythm problems plus other side-effects.
Always change my clothes/shower after coming home. Or I will bring coronavirus to my family.
Wrong. Cleanliness is a virtue; paranoia isn’t. Our biggest return on investment is in handwashing, staying six feet away, avoiding large crowds etc.
Are smokers at high risk?
Yes. Smokers have higher level of a molecule—ACE-2— that is the entry point for the coronavirus in your lungs. The virus causes sudden strokes in heavy smokers, diabetes and those suffering from hypertension.
Pollution increases the spread of Covid.
Very likely YES. There is enough data that shows this virus can get attached to particulate matter floating in the air.
The messages I receive are from doctors in China/Italy. Why shouldn’t I believe them?
False. Real doctors publish their research in scientific journals, not on social media. Lots of good research is already published.
The coronavirus droplets travel further than social distancing norms.
They can. An unobstructed cough can travel over two metres (six feet) in less than three seconds, and keep going.
Can COVID-19 be sexually transmitted?
Unlikely to spread through semen. Like ebola, zika and other viral pathogens.
Should I wear a face mask when I go for a run in the park?
Depends. You won’t need a mask while jogging or riding a bike if you’re exercising with no one around. But it’s good to carry one just in case. If it’s difficult to breathe through a mask when running or doing other strenuous physical activity, find uncrowded trails or times to exercise when you won’t encounter others.
When will Covid go away?
Impossible to predict. WHO says it’s possible the new coronavirus may be here to stay. This may become just another endemic virus in our communities. Previously novel diseases such as HIV have never disappeared.
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