Hey everyone, it’s Medicine Mondays again. Today is going to be a short post about “What’s the deal with Coronavirus?”

What’s the deal with Coronavirus?

I’ve kind of declined to comment on the coronavirus so far. This was mostly because I wasn’t too educated on it and didn’t want to add fuel to the fire.

I am going to preface this post by first saying I haven’t done a ton of research into the virus itself. The majority of my information comes from publicly available information. I haven’t delved into any of the current and ongoing medical research. Additionally, recommendations may be different based on where you live.

In my opinion, what makes coronavirus so worrisome is the fact that it seems to be so easily passed on. Also, even though there have been some deaths, it is not as deadly as the other previous “outbreaks” like SARS and H1N1. What this means is that people get sick, don’t know it, and pass it on.

Of course, it is possible that some mutation could occur that created a more virulent/resistant strain. If something like that to were to happen, I would imagine quarantines would become more strict.

What’s your take?

I’m a simple man, so my take is pretty simple. The things we’ve always recommended to prevent spread of disease haven’t changed.

You can read the CDC’s Guidance here but I’ll copy them here for ease:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
  • CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
  • Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to  others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Also, it’s a good idea to review this from the CDC as well:

For information about handwashing, see CDC’s Handwashing website

For information specific to healthcare, see CDC’s Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings

My wife and I try to review hand washing with the kids. In general, my wife is very good about making sure they wash their hands regularly and often. For that reason, it’s “normal” for them. However, I felt it was a good idea to review exactly how to do it and how long to do it for.

What about stocking up for a potential emergency?

I’ve seen a lot of articles about places running out of hand sanitizer and toilet paper. In fact, I just want to Costco today to pick up some more paper towels and toilet paper. This was not because of the coronavirus or anything, we just normally go about once a month to resupply. However, I was not surprised to see that there were no paper towels or toilet paper available.

As expected, since Hawaii is an island, there are concerns that you’ll need be quarantined at home for an extended period of time. Additionally, it’s possible that the entire island could be quarantined. This same fear occurred in Australia where apparently everyone is out of toilet paper.

In general, we’re pretty good about keeping a good stock of the “essentials” of the house. For this reason, I wasn’t too concerned about running out of things. We even donated a bottle of hand sanitizer to Kylie’s music school since they ran out and couldn’t find any more to buy.

However, I think in the event of an emergency or quarantine, toilet paper or paper towels probably wouldn’t be the most concerning thing to run out of. Making sure you have food, water, and soap is probably much more important.

So what’s the bottom line?

Practice good hygiene and common sense. Wash your hands. If you’re sick, stay home and/or see your doctor. Don’t cough and sneeze on people. Wash your hands. Use hand sanitizer if no soap and water is immediately available. Clean and disinfect commonly used/touched surfaces. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Wash your hands.

Oh yea… and also…

WASH YOUR HANDS

TL;DR

Coronavirus is a real concern.

Practice good hygiene and common sense.

Wash your hands.

-Sensei

Agree? Disagree? Questions, Comments and Suggestions are welcome.

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