Coronavirus Disease 2019: Quick Facts, Myths, and Toilet Papers

Virus Photo by qimono

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has taken the whole world by surprise in 2020. Unfortunately, it seems the surprises may not end anytime soon as we continue to learn about the new COVID-19 virus. This had led to an untold amount of societal panic; the most I have witnessed in my lifetime. I continue to wonder what wartimes looked like in the past and presently in certain areas of the world. Therefore, this article will attempt to ease some troubled minds by summarizing current evidence around COVID-19 and why you may want to take it easy on the toilet paper panic.

• The main symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing. However, do not assume that every sneeze or cough is a sign of Corona. Hence, you can still afford to be nice to that fella having an innocent allergic reaction. Be cautious, but be nice. 
• There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through pools and hot tubs THAT ARE properly maintained and disinfected with chlorine and bromine. However, it is still wise to be cautious of large gatherings in public pools. 
• COVID-19 virus has been detected in the feces of patients. However using the experience from similar coronaviruses like SARS, the risk of transmission of COVID-19 virus from the feces of an infected person is thought to be low. Since one could be infected and without symptoms for some time, you may want to keep your mouth where your mouth should be. 🤐
• At the time of writing this article, diarrhea hasn't made it to the list of symptoms. Since the stores are hopefully not going anywhere, be nice enough to save some toilet papers for your neighbors especially the elderly. On the other hand, if you cannot lay your hands on toilet papers at this time and nature calls, you may try to use the universal solvent - water. 😊
• Even if you stay at home all day at this time, it doesn't hurt to wash those hands once in a while. Yes, practice it! Maybe, just maybe if we all get used to proper hygiene this time, we may not have this sort of experience ever again as a society.

Proper Hand Washing Photo by Burst

• We still cannot bet that warmer climates or higher temperatures in the coming months will inactivate the virus and reduce its spread. The current evidence is not conclusive. 
• Fortunately (or unfortunately?), COVID-19 is an "equal opportunity" disease. It is proven that anyone from any race can contract, spread, and die from the disease. In other words, we are all in this together. 
• There is currently no evidence of contracting COVID-19 from imported goods. So spend that money if you have to!
• Sorry, but your hand sanitizer is not a substitute for washing your hands regularly. 
• There is no evidence that pets can spread the virus. However, pets can spread other diseases to people. Hence, it is a good idea to wash your hands after handling pets and other animals. If you are sick with COVID-19, the guidance is to avoid contact with your pet.
• Sewage needs to be cleared and treated as soon as possible. Although it is still unclear if the COVID-19 virus can be spread through sewerage systems, the 2003 SARs outbreak showed that the SARs virus (a similar coronavirus) can be detected in the sewage for up to 14 days.

The Bottom Line

There is still so much we need to learn about this new virus. At the moment, social distancing (about 6 ft) and basic hygiene seem to be our best hopes for stemming the spread of COVID-19 virus. Particularly, we should all take some responsibility to help one another through this rough patch and especially look out for the older adults among us.


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Further Reading:

Guidance on COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html