Coronavirus is primarily a respiratory disease which probably originally emerged from an animal source. However, is now rapidly spreading in humans.
This type of virus family is zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between humans and animals.
Most recently, the virus outbreak in China has now reached other countries. It has the name coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.
As the novel coronavirus continues to infect people around the world, news articles and social media posts about the outbreak continue to spread online. This relentless flow of information is making it quite difficult to differentiate the fact from fiction. During an outbreak of this nature, misinformation can be dangerous!
Here’s a try to help clarify what’s true and what’s not!
MYTH: FACE MASKS CAN PROTECT YOU FROM CORONAVIRUS DISEASE
FACT: Masks are only effective only when you use it along with frequent cleaning of hands with soap and water. Ensure to wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
MYTH: CONSUMPTION OF GARLIC CAN HELP PREVENT THE VIRAL INFECTION
FACT: Garlic is a very healthy and nutritious food item which has excellent antimicrobial properties. However, no proven evidence from the current corona outbreak eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.
MYTH: HAND-DRYERS KILL THE CORONAVIRUS
FACT: No, hand-dryers are not effective at all! To ensure protection against this virus, we need to wash hands with 60% alcohol-based hand wash. Once cleaned, pat your hands dry using a paper towel or a warm air dryer.
MYTH: A PACKAGE FROM CHINA WILL CARRY THE INFECTIOUS CORONAVIRUS
FACT: People receiving packages from China need not be afraid! From previous study and analysis, it has been identified that coronaviruses do not survive long on objects, such as letters and packages.
MYTH: PETS AT HOME CAN SPREAD THE VIRUS TO HUMANS
FACT: There is no proven evidence of cats/dogs spreading the virus to humans. However, it is a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after coming in contact with your pets.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. The key issues are how transmissible this new coronavirus is between people and what proportion becomes severely ill and ends up in the hospital. Global efforts at this time focused concurrently on containing the spread and mitigating the impact of this virus.
