There is a lot of information and misinformation out there about the Coronavirus. Some of the misinformation is unintentional, some of it is deliberately seeded. And as they say, a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. So, we present here some of the common misunderstandings and little known truths about Coronavirus and provide pointers to sources that provide more accurate information, This is by no means an exhaustive list. Readers are encouraged to provide additional examples in the comments section; I will add the most relevant ones to the diary. Also, please let me know if I got anything wrong.
- Coronavirus does not infect children — false
- Young people have a low probability of getting infected — false
- Recovered patients can get re-infected — unlikely
- Recovered patients can infect others — unclear
- Infected people show no symptoms for a few days and can spread the virus — true
- Corovirus infection can take place through eyes — true
- Corovirus can survive in aerosols for up to 3 hours — true
- The Virus can survive on some surfaces for days— true
- Corovirus will die off in summer — unlikely
- Smokers have a high risk of serious illness — partially true
- Those with hypertension, diabetes and heart-disease are at higher risk of serious illness — true
- Mainly elderly (65+ years) people will die — false
- There is a greater than 9% probability that you will die of Coronavirus if you are over 80 years old — misleading
- Coronavirus is similar to the flu — false
- A vaccine will be available by summer or fall this year — false
- Hydrochloroquine or Hydrochloroquine with Azithromycin or the anti-viral Remdesivir will put an end to Coronavirus — unproven
- Ibuprofen is harmful for Coronavirus patients — unproven
- There are home remedies to prevent Coronavirus infection — unproven
- The UK will let everyone get infected to build herd-immunity — false
- There are two different strains of the virus — false
- SARS-CoV-2 was bio-engineered by China — false
- Obama declared swine flu an emergency only after ‘millions’ were infected? — False
- There are some symptoms in asymptomatic cases that can help detect Coronavirus infection — likely
- You can have sex in these times of Coronavirus — yes, but not with another person
Let’s take a look at some authoritative sources to clear things up.
1. Coronavirus does not infect children — false
It has been widely reported that the infection rate in children is low. It appears that children do get infected but the symptoms tend to be mild with most but not all children. May have something to do with healthier lungs, better immune system, no over-reaction by the immune system (the cytokine storm). Scientists are still trying to figure out why children are able to tolerate and fight the virus better than older men and women. Most health professionals believe that children can act as carriers of the virus.
The tolerance of kids to the virus might provide some clues on how this virus works and how we can develop treatments for it. www.washingtonpost.com/…
Here is a report of transmission from an infant to an adult.
2. Young people have a low probability of getting infected — false
S. Korea data shows that young people are getting infected in substantial numbers because testing is much more widespread there. In the bar graph below, red is S. Korea, green is Italy.
This also partially explains the higher overall fatality rate in Italy.
3. Recovered patients can get re-infected — unlikely
Recovered patients (in this case Rhesus macaques) do produce immune antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (as is the the case with other viruses) -
The following study supports the finding that after recovery, our immunity to the virus builds up and prevents future infections.
4. Recovered patients can infect others — unclear
I do not have a clear answer on this. Earlier, the standard was that patients could be released 14 days after exposure to the virus. This study detected virus after 37 days.
5. Infected people show no symptoms for a few days and can spread the virus — true
This paper comes to that conclusions based on modeling techniques -
6. Corovirus infection can take place through eyes — true
Shown in lab animals.
7. Corovirus can survive in aerosols for up to 3 hours — true
SARS-CoV-2 can survive in aerosols for up to 3 hours. This study was performed in a lab at 21-23oC and 65% relative humidity.
8. The Virus can survive on some surfaces for days — true
Coronaviruses in general, and SARS-CoV in particular have been studied for viability on surfaces. From www.hindawi.com/… - “The dried (SARS-CoV) virus on smooth surfaces retained its viability for over 5 days at temperatures of 22–25°C and relative humidity of 40–50%, that is, typical air-conditioned environments.”
Viability outside these conditions is lower. Higher temperatures damage the virus faster and high humidity tends to reduce the “hang-time” of the aerosol particles that carry the virus.
Also, see tweet above.
The greatest chances of infection occur from aerosols coughed out by infected patients and by touching facial mucous areas with infected fingers.
So the lesson here is that after touching surfaces (door knobs, elevator buttons, gas dispensers, touch screens, ...), avoid touching your face and wash your hands as soon as possible. In addition, use paper napkins and tissue paper when touching objects that could potentially be infected. Also, wipe/disinfect surfaces at home and work. Infected persons should self-quarantine. Wearing a cloth face mask or just covering your mouth and nose is not a bad idea since it prevents spreading of the virus from asymptomatic infections.
9. Corovirus will die off in summer — unlikely
It is well known that the flu virus slows down in summer and hence is referred to as seasonal flu. The precise reason is not known but various studies have pointed to multiple possible reasons. From en.wikipedia.org/… -
- People are outdoors more often during summer, they are in close contact less often, and this reduces person to person transmission.
- Vitamin D production in the skin from sunlight increases in summer and strengthens the immune system.
- Ultraviolet radiation damages the virus that resides on surfaces and there is more of it during summer
- Cold temperatures lead to drier air, which dries out mucous membranes, which is less effective in defending against the virus.
- Viruses survive longer in cooler temperatures and hence linger longer on exposed surfaces (doorknobs, countertops, etc.). Note that in our air-conditioned homes and buildings, viruses live longer, even in summer. Indoors is where most transmissions take place.
- Humidity decreases the distance viruses can travel. The aerosol particles that harbor the virus pick up moisture, get heavier and fall. Similarly, in dry air, the moisture in the droplets evaporates making the droplets lighter and helping them travel farther,
- In nations where children do not go to school in the summer, there is a more pronounced beginning to flu season, coinciding with the start of public school. It is thought that the day care environment is perfect for the spread of illness.
But this analysis is for the flu virus and COVID-19 is not related to the flu virus. Studies of the SARS and MERS virus, which are closer to COVID-19, found less of an effect of warm weather on the virus (www.nationalgeographic.com/...).
So, it is likely that some of the factors cited above will slow down COVID-19 somewhat in summer, but given its very high contagiousness, we should expect it to be dangerous over summer. Besides, it won’t be summer all across the globe and this virus travels fast.
10. Smokers have a high risk of serious illness — partially true
Smoking per se is not the primary indicator of high risk; death rates increase among those with preexisting health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease,diabetes and lung disease. Smoking does contribute to some of these diseases, but there are several other causes of these disease. These chronic diseases are present in adults under 60 too, so we cannot get too complacent.
11. Those with hypertension, diabetes and heart-disease are at higher risk of serious illness — true
See above.
12. Mainly elderly (65+ years) people will die — false
Mortality rate differs a lot across age groups, as shown below; yes, it is lower for those under 60, but is still disturbing high. For comparison, the case fatality rate for seasonal flu in the U.S. in 2017 for age 50-64 was 0.05%.
Fatality rate also depends a lot on the presence of pre-existing conditions. Overall, 41% of U.S adults have a higher risk of serious illness. We are not a healthy nation.
13. There is a greater than 9% probability that you will die of Coronavirus if you are over 80 years old — misleading
This statement is misleading in spite of the fact that the 9-10% numbers are often reported in studies. The 9-10% number is the death rate of such elderly people once infected. Also, within that age group, those with pre-existing conditions have a higher mortality ate. The probability of getting infected in the first place is unknown and depends a lot on you and the overall infection rate in the neighborhood.
If everyone were to get infected, then yes 9-10% of those over 80 will die.
So our efforts have to be focused on reducing the probability of getting and spreading infections — isolation, social distancing, personal hygiene and testing.
14. Coronavirus is similar to the flu — false
Coronavirus has 5-10 times higher fatality rate than seasonal flu, across all adult age groups.
15. A vaccine will be available by summer or fall this year — false
There are rumors and claims of vaccines being ready by June or fall his year. All reliable sources have repeatedly said that it will take at 12 months, more likely 18, to fully test vaccines and have them available for mass use. There are over 25 vaccine efforts in progress, only one in the US (from Moderna) and one in China have started testing in human.
Check out diary “Coronovirus Vaccines and Treatments under Development” for more info.
16. Hydrochloroquine or Hydrochloroquine with Azithromycin or the anti-viral Remdesivir will put an end to Coronavirus — unproven
Hydrochloroquine (HCQ) is known to have anti-viral properties and has been tested on patients in China with mixed results. A study conducted in France showed some positive results that got everyone excited. Note that Azithromycin was administered in addition to HCQ to some patients to kill pneumonia bacteria, but the combination showed better results in eliminating the virus. See results in the tweet below.
The study has been criticized for the small sample size (14 patients treated with HCQ, 6 with HCQ + Azithromycin). An additional 4 patients had to be taken off the treatment as they developed complications, one of them died, this fact was left out of the results.
Another study from Belgium epidemio.wiv-isp.be/… showed improved performance when Hydrochloroquine and Azithromycin (for pneumonia) were given together to a small number of patients. The study states — “Of note, in a small subgroup (n=6) of COVID patients incidentally treated with azithromycin for suspected bacterial superinfection, a more pronounced viral suppression was observed, but this observation is still too preliminary to recommend systematic administration of both drugs concomitantly, taking into account some significant risks of interaction.”
Dr. Fauci has used a more measured tone on this. Other experts are advocating a more cautious approach as well -
There are other trials in progress which will provide more definitive answers. Meanwhile, consult with your doctor before taking these drugs.
Deaths have been reported in Nigeria and the USA of people self-medicating and overdosing with Chloroquine, a more toxic version of HCQ.
There are over 32 different efforts to test existing drugs and to create new drugs and treatments. One or more will prove out to be effective, but it takes time and effort to do the testing for efficacy and safety.
17. Ibuprofen is harmful for Coronavirus patients — unproven
The ibuprofen advisory came out of the French health authorities, so it has spread far and wide. There has been no systematic study to prove it one way or the other.
For those unconvinced, use Paracetamol.
18. There are home remedies to prevent Coronavirus infection — unproven
There are a bunch of crackpot ideas floating on social media — gargling with vinegar, drinking bleach, silver solutions, garlic, blowing hot hair into the nose or mouth, herbs, oils and prayer. You know how that goes. I suspect conservatives are more gullible on this front.
The only home remedy is to stay home and care precautions to avoid getting infected. Staying healthy, eating nutritious food, taking vitamins, exercise and stress reduction are also good practices.
19. The UK will let everyone get infected to build herd-immunity — false
This idea was floated in the UK (perhaps an an exercise in what would happen if we did nothing and even some Republican lawmakers) to let everyone except the elderly get infected to build up herd-immunity. The UK is now taking steps as recommended by WHO and health experts.
20. There are two different strains of the virus — false
This one has been floating around for while ever since Chinese researchers arrived at this faulty and hasty conclusion in a paper and the popular media spread the story without checking with experts. It also conforms people’s unscientific bias that viruses mutate and become more deadly, just like in the movies.
The fact is that viruses mutate in every reproduction but these mutations are inconsequential or are harmful to the virus itself. No strain that with significantly different behavior has been detected yet. Diary “Coronavirus - Some more research findings and advice about the virus” has some more info on this topic.
That does not mean that one may not arise in the future, especially as we deploy drugs that may kill off the current strain but allow some other strain to survive and proliferate. The new strain, if one emerges, may be less aggressive or more, you cannot predict. But we must always be aware of and differentiate between what’s theoretically possible vs what the current reality is.
Note that research into Coronavirus is proceeding at breakneck speed, there is little time to go through the traditional peer-review process before publishing results. Occasionally, mistakes occur and incorrect conclusions are drawn, but the scientific process quickly corrects such mistakes.
21. SARS-CoV-2 was bio-engineered by China (or the U.S.) — false
There is zero evidence to support that CT and plenty of analysis time wasted trying to show why this virus could not have been engineered.
22. Obama declared swine flu an emergency only after ‘millions’ were infected? — False
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The Obama administration declared swine flu, or H1N1, a public health emergency six weeks before H1N1 was declared a pandemic.
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No H1N1 deaths had yet been recorded in the United States.
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Six months after that initial declaration, when more than 1,000 deaths had occurred, Obama himself declared H1N1 a national emergency.
23. There are some symptoms in asymptomatic cases that can help detect Coronavirus infection — likely
It has been reported that in many patients with no symptoms of fever or dry cough, there is a loss of smell and taste. This can be cue to call your doctor and get tested.
There is another report that showed that out of 204 new patients in a hospital in China, nearly 50% had digestive system symptoms (loss of appetite and diarrhea), some without respiratory symptoms. I would rate this a maybe until corroborating data is available from other hospitals.
24. You can have sex in these times of Coronavirus — yes, but not with another person
According to this article, if you are having sex with another person, you are not exactly practicing social distancing 😄
According to the New York City Department of Health (NYDOH), “You are your safest sex partner.”
Epilogue
Hopefully, most of our astute readers already knew the answers. For those who had some doubts, hopefully this diary improved your knowledge base and understanding of these issues.
As always, let’s all rely on trusted sources for news and information. Let’s avoid picking up obscure pieces of info. from the Internet and then spreading it … like a virus.
We all expect a nationwide curfew to be coming soon, so let’s make preparations and let’s do our part. Let’s take all the precautionary measures that have been recommended many times — practice social distancing, work from home, wash hands, avoid touching our faces, avoid infecting others, avoid large gatherings. All this needs to be done by everyone, not a random few. We need slow down the spread of the virus enough to allow hospitals and healthcare workers to handle the case load that will emerge. We know all this should have been done 8 weeks ago, when the epidemic in Wuhan was peaking; our government is broken and it will not be fixed until we expunge the virus from the White House. But here we are and it will get worse over the next few week.
Stay calm and stay strong.
Further Reading
- Some Novel Coronavirus Treatments in the Pipeline - Antibody Harvesting and Plant Based Vaccines — www.dailykos.com/…
- Coronavirus - Some more research findings and advice about the virus — www.dailykos.com/...
- Coronavirus - Some more Medical and Research News - www.dailykos.com/…
- Coronovirus Vaccines and Treatments under Development — www.dailykos.com/…
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) — www.cdc.gov/…
- www.snopes.com/...