With so much confusion surrounding the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and instructions changing seemingly every day, this article will help explain the reasons behind the different measures being taken. This virus is behaving differently than most other previously known viruses and that is making it difficult for experts to give clear advice. Even after all various social distancing measures and orders have been put in place I've seen and heard from many, especially younger people, a lack of care and thinking that everyone is just overly panicking. I can't entirely blame them as public figures, specifically politicians, have been sending confusing and mixed messages.
Why social distance when we didn't need to do that with the flu?
It's been proven through data that COVID-19 is much more transferable than the flu, requires hospitalization more often, and has a much higher death rate. This article provides a chart of the differences between the seasonal flu and COVID-19. But there are three main reasons why we should practice social distancing this time.
1. Transfer rate
The flu normally is transferred to 1-1.5 people for every person infected, but COVID-19 spreads at double that rate. So if 10 people are infected with COVID-19 they can transfer it to up to 25, and that's in normal settings. If they attend a large gathering they can infect much more, like what happened in South Korea. Those 25 infected people can spread it to another 62, so it spreads exponentially this way. The only way the virus spreads is by transferring from one person to another, that's why it's crucial to stay away from others in order to stop the spread. This video demonstrates how you can get, or spread, the virus by going to the grocery store.
2. Long incubation period
Unlike the flu which has a 1-4 day incubation period, COVID-19 has a much longer 2-14 day incubation period. This means a person can have COVID and be walking around for up to two weeks feeling perfectly fine, all the while spreading the disease to others unwittingly! This makes COVID-19 a much more difficult beast to contain. Not only is it more contagious and spreads to more people than the flu, but each one of those infected can be walking around infecting others, and the others infecting others without knowing -- then weeks later start succumbing to the virus. That is why testing is crucial to containing the virus. The only way to stop the virus in its tracks, since we don't have enough test kits to use them as a tool to contain the virus, is to avoid contact with others.
3. No vaccine, treatment or cure
Fortunately we have a vaccine for the flu and medications that help alleviate its symptoms, enabling us to contain its spread. Only about 1-2% of people who get the flu are hospitalized as a result. But COVID-19 has a whopping 10 to 20 percent hospitalization rate. COVID-19 is not only dangerous and deadly for the elderly, but perfectly healthy young adults were hospitalized and had to be taken to the ICU as a result. No one seems to be able to predict why it affects some people more severely than others. A CDC report in mid-March showed that over half of hospitalizations were for people under 65 and one in five people were between 20 and 44 years old. So, we shouldn't assume we will be fine if we are young.
Why we should wear face masks?
We all should wear masks if we have to go out, or some type of face covering because the virus is airborne and can linger in the air even after infected people leave. At first, we were told we shouldn't wear masks unless we have the virus or symptoms. But as we all know now, we can be carrying the virus long before we have any symptoms. We also know that healthcare workers wear masks to prevent themselves from contracting the virus from sick people, which indicates that masks can help prevent people from catching the virus. It seems supply and demand had some role in why we were initially told not to wear masks. Now the CDC is recommending us to wear masks but not requiring it. The best way to avoid contracting the virus or giving it to others is to stay at home, but if you have to go out wearing a mask provides some protection.
Does wearing gloves help?
Wearing gloves is only helpful if you have skin problems on your hands or if you're going to handle something really contaminated and then dispose of the gloves. But you must remember to treat the gloves the same way you treat your hands; i.e. wash them after touching anything possibly contaminated and don't touch your face or anything else until you do. Also taking them on and off can contaminate your hands so you must wash after taking them off unless you washed the gloved hands first. Of course wash them the right way, for at least 20 seconds.
I hope this helps clarify the reasons behind these measures, and that everyone follows the guidelines for their safety. I look forward to your comments.
