Virus: Half of what you hear is wrong

March 30, 2020 27 Comments

For supposedly smart and well-educated people, Americans fall for a wide variety of misinformation about the coronavirus.

The bad data can come from friends and relatives, or — especially — social media.

Let’s be myth busters today. The facts are drawn from a wide variety of sources, from the World Health Organization to Johns Hopkins University. 

Oh — just when you got comfortable calling it coronavirus, or COVID-19, or Chinese Virus, scientists have devised a new name — SARS-CoV-2.

Quite a mouthful that I don’t think will catch on in the media.

Let’s look at the myths.

A cure. Right now, there is none and no proven medicine for slowing it down, although some existing medicines are being tested. Developing a safe and effective vaccine will take many months. Amazon has removed about 1 million items that promised to treat or even cure COVID-19.

You can catch it by eating Chinese food. No more so than eating Kentucky Fried Chicken or pasta.

It’s on items shipped from China. Highly unlikely. The illness is most likely transmitted by droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough. It can live on different surfaces for different lengths of time. Good idea to wipe down anything you have shipped to your home. 

Gargle for protection. You cannot protect yourself by swallowing or gargling with bleach, taking acetic acid or steroids, or using essential oils, salt water, ethanol or other substances.

Alcohol will kill the virus. More likely it will kill you. 

The young are safe. The young can be infected just like any other age group, but the impact might be less severe.

Old people who catch it die. A minority will die, the majority will not. 

Black people are immune. No, the melanin in their skin does not protect them.

Get a home testing kit. On March 20, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration warned it has not authorized any at-home tests for COVID-19.

Face masks protect you. No, say the experts, but I would wear one if I had one.

Garlic will save you. Garlic has many benefits. Warding off COVID-19 is not one of them.

Flu vaccine. It has no effect on coronavirus.

Rinsing your nose with saline helps prevent infection. There is no evidence that rinsing the nose with saline has any positive effect.

Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will kill COVID-19. If the virus already is in your body this does no good, and it will not prevent the virus from entering.

Groups under 10 are fine. Wrong. The smaller the group, the better, but no group is safe.

Heat will kill the virus. From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 is at home in hot and humid weather. Having a very hot bath wouldn’t do much either. Except make you clean.

Pets carry the virus. It may have come from animals, but your pets do not carry it. (Good idea not to eat your pets.)

Hand dryers kill the virus. No, they don’t. Other ineffective home remedies include vitamin C, essential oils, silver colloid, sesame oil, fish tank cleaner, and sipping water every 15 minutes.

The virus will die off  in the spring. Not likely. Some viruses, such as cold and flu viruses, do spread more easily in the colder months, but that does not mean that they stop entirely when conditions become milder. 

Coronavirus is the deadliest virus known to man. Although it is more serious than influenza, it is not the deadliest virus. Others, such as Ebola, have higher mortality rates.

It is a hoax. No, it is not a hoax.

The best protection (which you should know by now): Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, using soap and hot water.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick, sneezing, or coughing. Actually, avoid close contact with anyone. 

Avoid spreading your own germs by coughing into the crook of your elbow and staying home when you are sick.

Stay safe.

27 thoughts on “Virus: Half of what you hear is wrong”

  2. Well done, Stu, and most needed.

    I would add as preventive measures (as noted by Anthony Fauci in a Bloomberg interview): eat a healthy diet (lots of fruit, vegetables, and protein), get ample sleep, and don’t smoke–anything.

    1. Paul,
      with all due respect, give the man his due. Doctor Anthony Fauci.
      Tony

      1. Mr. Clark: Mr. DeCeglie is a Brooklyn Italian who tells me Fauci used to steal his lunch money. So maybe there’s a grudge.
        And did I bitch at you when you spell Bykofsky wrong? (Note last letter) 😃

        1. wow, with the formalities.
          I was gonna send you a mask. now………………

  3. HAPPY MONDAY !!!
    Pallie,
    As always, well done . As you point out, we fall for fake news. People have died listening to the so called professionals. As with any communicable disease, don’t make yourself a statistic. “Know thy enemy”!
    One thing that’s a long shot. The virus can be transmitted by air. Highly unlikely, nut why get into a crowed elevator and have somebody cough or sneeze all over the car ? Most definitely, if you are susceptible- and you know who you are- do wear a mask and gloves if you have to be anywhere near anyone .
    FYI: Just for comparison’s sake; We live in the country. In the woods would be a fair assessment. My wife is one of those rare humans that will get poison ivy, oak, etc. as fast as you can say it three times. Our woods are loaded with the stuff ! The wife goes to extremes to protect herself. Two pairs of gloves.Mask, long sleeve shirt, sweat pants. She washes with a special soap before she dons here “ppe” . When she comes into the house. She strips in the laundry room. The clothes go into the washer by themselves. Special soap. The last thing that comes off, is the first pair of gloves. Almost fool proof. The few times that she does get blisters, she washes right away and often. What we know is this. The poison plants don’t really die off or hibernate. The poisons are highly contagious. Highly transmittable. And it is most definitely airborne. When I burn yard debris (branches, etc), she can’t be outside. She cannot pet(me) or any other animal that has been outside . Other than that, country liv’n’ is great. We’ll take it over city life.
    Tony

  4. Another excellent post, Stu. Keep the myth busters coming! And a few more jokes wouldn’t hurt either!

  5. Bob (Simon) – just what I was thinking as I was reading down the list…myth busters! Great job, Stu. Everything was fine until you burst my bubble on Kentucky Fried Chicken. LoL

    1. Isopropyl alcohol 60-70% a good disinfectant! Been using on my phone for about a year if I remember. Use on kit. counter top after emptying groceries. Also wash my hands after soap and water! Good for car interior.
      When we get injections they wipe down skin area with alcohol. Hospitals used to in old days on mouth thermometers.., etc. Not positive about this monster, but can’t hurt!
      Hey Paul, give your old buddy, the good Doctor Fauci, a call. Don’t he look great for 79? Runs 3 miles a day!
      I run to the bathroom!!
      Tom

    2. alcohol, as a disinfectant kills, does indeed kill the virus and so much more. I prefer Wild Turkey 101, just to anesthetize it.

      1. you mean the bourbon, right ? don’t waste good bourbon on a table top !

  8. Don’t mess with bleach!! Will burn you if not handled properly and will stain! And NEVER mix with ammonia, creates a deadly gas called, I think phosgene? Believe me I know. Vinegar will clean a window nice, but not a disinfectant. If I repeat Stu I apologize.
    Time for a run!!
    Tom

  9. Rumors of how one may become infected or how one may be cured seem to spread faster than the disease itself. Sometimes the actions taken based on rumor are tragic, such as what happened to those people in Iran who drank some poisonous form of alcohol and died. They ‘heard’ it was a preventative or cure.

    But I do remember one really funny situation when someone I worked with failed a drug test and she swore up and down she NEVER smoked marijuana. “But I did have oral sex with my boyfriend over the weekend and he smokes pot all the time!” she said, with a straight face.

  11. I am thinking about the 370K Chinese students in the U.S. and their role in spreading past, present,and future viral infections.

    1. Art
      You know what THEY will call you? You’re not allowed to think that!
      If THEY could they would!

      Tom

  12. Fyi- In Belgium a cat caught the virus from its owner. Saw that and the picture online yesterday. Also, 2 dogs in Hong Kong. Will look for it again.

  13. Thanks Stu… one positive of the great 2020 quarantine… frequent post from you!

    Keep up the good work!

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