Index
Unfortunately, a lot of information is circulating about the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), so it is important to know what is true and what is not.
Lisa Maragakis , MD, MPH, infectious disease expert and senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, helps clarify information to help you and your family stay healthy and safe.
True or false? A vaccine to cure COVID-19 is available.
FALSE.
True: There is no vaccine for the new coronavirus at this time. Scientists have already started work on one, but developing a vaccine that is safe and effective in humans 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.
FALSE.
True: None of these recommendations protect you against COVID-19, and some of these practices can be dangerous.
The best ways to protect yourself from this coronavirus (and other viruses) include: frequent hand washing very well, using soap and water (hot water if possible).
Antibacterial drugs or gels with alcohol do not serve this purpose, and therefore we would leave the virus in a better condition to spread by leaving a humid environment.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick, sneeze, or cough. Also, you can avoid spreading your own germs by coughing into the crook of your elbow and staying home when you’re sick.
True or false? The new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by people.
FALSE.
True: Viruses can change over time. Occasionally, a disease outbreak occurs when a virus that is common in an animal such as a pig, bat, or bird undergoes changes and passes to humans.
It is likely that this is how the new coronavirus arose.
True or false? Ordering or buying products shipped from China will make a person sick.
FALSE.
True: Researchers are studying the new Coronavirus to learn more about how it infects people.
Scientists point out that most viruses like this don’t stay alive for long on surfaces, so you’re unlikely to be infected with COVID-19 from a package that was in transit for days or weeks.
Most likely, the disease is transmitted by droplets from the sneeze or cough of an infected person, but more information is emerging every day.
True or false? A face mask will protect you from COVID-19.
FALSE.
True: Certain models of tight-fitting professional respirators (such as the N95) can protect healthcare workers while caring for infected patients.
For the general public without respiratory illness, the use of lightweight disposable surgical masks is not recommended.
Because they do not fit well, they can allow small, infected droplets to enter the nose, mouth, or eyes.
Also, people with the virus on their hands who touch their face with a mask can become infected. People with a respiratory illness can wear these masks to decrease the chance of infecting others.
Keep in mind that by stocking up on masks, fewer are available for sick patients and healthcare workers who need them.
And please do not believe everything that circulates on Social Networks or WhatsApp, keep calm, wash your hands properly and with plenty of soap, avoid contact with other people outside your family nucleus at home.
