Coronavirus is all everyone is talking about these days, and because of that, we’re seeing a number of myths surfacing about the virus that need to be debunked. So here are five Coronavirus myths being debunked.
Keep in mind that if you do think you have the Coronavirus, to make sure to call your doctor or another medical professional, instead of going into the hospital or urgent care. Because if you are infected, you could end up spreading it around to others, and those that could be at a higher risk than yourself.
It’s just the flu
This is a myth that President Trump really believed. For quite a few weeks, he believed that the Coronavirus was just the flu. Even going as far as asking some of his medical advisors if the flu vaccine would work against the Coronavirus. Of course, it did not.
Now, the Coronavirus or COVID-19 is very similar to the flu. It does have a lot of the same symptoms and the virus does come from the same family of diseases. But it is a much different virus than influenza.
The symptoms of Coronavirus are similar, including a cough, fever and shortness of breath. The real differentiator here is the shortness of breath. And no, if you can’t hold your breathe for 10 seconds anymore, that doesn’t mean you have Coronavirus, like Geraldo Rivera from Fox News tried to tell everyone. These symptoms may also changed based on your age and overall health.
Doctors and medical professionals are finding that those that are over 60 pose the biggest risk for complications. And anyone with chronic health conditions are also at risk.
The mortality rate of COVID-19 isn’t that accurate. Because many countries – including the US – aren’t testing enough people. This is because there are simply not enough tests to be able to do that. Which is why it is so important that you stay home and heed the advice of these medical professionals.
Masks will protect you from getting infected
Many believed that wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth will keep you from getting infected. This is also not true.
When the Coronavirus started spreading through China, there was a huge demand for face masks. But it’s actually very unlikely to protect you from getting COVID-19.
The biggest reason why these masks won’t protect you, is because the majority of the ones being bought aren’t the kind that can protect you from a virus. They are more like the masks that construction workers use, making them pretty useless. The mask that does work, is the N95 respirator, which is often used by healthcare workers. And it is now out of stock all over the world, leaving healthcare workers exposed while they treat those that are infected.
The N95 respirator isn’t a good idea for just anyone to buy. That’s because if you don’t use it correctly, it could actually make you more vulnerable to the disease.
But the good news is, if you wear a mask after getting Coronavirus, it can help prevent spreading the disease to other individuals.
The vaccine is coming soon
Coronavirus, or COVID-19 as its known to healthcare workers, is a very new virus, and that means the vaccine is still very far away. While there was news today about the first vaccine going into testing, it won’t be available for at least 12-18 months.
That is because COVID-19 is still very new. In fact, doctors don’t even know a whole lot about the disease and is learning more about the virus every single day. And because of that, the vaccine is likely not even close to being ready right now.
There’s also no real cure to COVID-19 just yet. That, again, is because healthcare workers are still not that sure of what they are dealing with, when it comes to Coronavirus. But the best way to deal with it, is lots of fluid, cough medicine, etc, like it were the flu or a cold.
Only those with COVID-19 should self-isolate
It is pretty tempting to think that because you don’t show signs of having COVID-19, you don’t need to self-isolate. But that’s not true. Everyone needs to self-isolate.
A big reason for this is because symptoms for COVID-19 could take anywhere from two to fourteen days to appear. So just because you don’t have the symptoms today, doesn’t mean you don’t have the virus. And going out to parties and such could infect more people. This is why we are seeing many States shutting down gyms, restaurants, bars and more places. To help keep everyone at home.
The CDC’s current guidance says that you should avoid gatherings of over 50 people for the next eight weeks. This isn’t so much because you have the virus, but someone else might. And they could end up passing it along to someone that is more high risk. And that could also result in more fatalities.
And let’s be honest here, there are many more painful things that you can do, other than staying at home all the time. Basically doctors are asking you to stay home and watch Netflix all day, or if you can work from home, to do that. The silver lining here is that it could be much worse.
You will know if you have the Coronavirus
As mentioned already, symptoms of COVID-19 could take anywhere from two to fourteen days to actually appear. So just because you don’t have any symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t have Coronavirus. this is perhaps the most important of the Coronavirus myths that need to be debunked.
Of course, the only way to know for sure if you have the virus, is to be tested for it. And with tests being in such short supply, the majority of us will never get tested for COVID-19. If you’re young and otherwise healthy, doctors likely won’t ask you to come in for a test. Unless you are feeling really, really terrible.
Lastly, anyone who thinks they might have the virus should stay home and avoid contact with others. And make sure to get plenty of rest. Rest and plenty of fluids will help you, whether you have Coronavirus or not.