The Coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to spread across the United States, and the country is taking several measures to ensure the safety of citizens from canceling sports events, delaying and/or canceling schools, and a wavering stock market. The Bobby Bones Show brought on Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States to get an in-depth explanation about what’s happening with this virus.
Bobby Bones asked Vice Admiral Adams the things that Americans should and shouldn’t be doing to protect themselves when it comes to the virus. Vice Admiral Adams noted that the Coronavirus comes from a family of virus and it’s a respiratory virus that spreads from person-to-person. Some ways to protect yourself on your own include washing your hands, covering your cough, staying away from other people that are sick, and cleaning surfaces frequently. He noted that wearing a mask does not help you at all when it comes to Coronavirus. He continued by sharing that surgical masks are designed to protect other people from you, and the N95 masks that health care workers wear are designed specifically for those industries and they may make matters worse because they will cause you to touch your face even more.
Vice Admiral Adams said it was important to note that not only do the masks not help you with this virus, but the hoarding of them is preventing health care workers and facilities from getting their hands on them. This is causing health care workers to get sick from the virus, making there be less and less workers to assist with treating those infected. If you’re going to be traveling during the Coronavirus outbreak, he noted that one should act as if it’s a bad flu season; wash your hands frequently, keep distance from those who appear to be sick (coughing and sneezing), and wipe down the areas you plan to sit in and use.
Another important thing Vice Admiral Adams shared is that hand sanitizer is a great alternative to washing your hands, but nothing is good as ole fashion hand washing. If you’re in a pinch, then by all means use hand sanitizer, but do not use that as a replacement for washing hands.
As far as a vaccine for Coronavirus goes, he shared that they are working on one, as well as therapeutics for the virus. However, they do not expect there to be a vaccine for 12 months due to the safety measures and tests that need to be taken for vaccines. He continued that when you look at the outbreaks of SARS, MARS, and H1N1, what genuinely helped stopping the spread was good ole fashion health measures, meaning individuals taking care of themselves and steering clear of others who are sick. He said that the outbreak is not over and we will see more cases and more community spread, however, that’s not unexpected. He noted that if you come in contact with the virus, most people will have a mild illness of a cold or version of the flu.
If you want to learn the accurate information on the Coronavirus outbreak, Vice Admiral Adams shared to check out www.CDC.gov or www.Coronavirus.gov for the right information on the virus.
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