What the Coronavirus and Covid-19 are not
Misinformation, panic and sometimes just a downright lack of common sense can spread as quickly or perhaps even quicker than this disease has. Here are some quick pointers:
Covid-19 is not like your average flu
While the normal flu is caused by coronaviruses and it does share similarities with Covid-19, it’s a mistake to say they’re the same. According to WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Covid-19 isn’t transmitted as easily as the flu, which is the good news. The bad news is that it causes a much more severe disease. While the entire world has already built up immunity to the flu, Covid-19 is brand new. Unlike the flu, Dr Adhanom has said that Covid-19 can and should be contained. Finally, the biggest difference between the two is that as of yet, there is no vaccine.
Covid-19 is not Sars
The virus that caused these diseases are “related to each other genetically”, according to WHO but they are not the same. Covid-19 is less deadly than Sars though more infectious.
It is not an excuse to hoard
As previously mentioned, masks don’t really help you at all, so buying them is useless and hoarding them is just being a jerk. Better to stock up on hand sanitiser. There is no need to stalk up on toilet paper, especially since we all have the bum guns.
Covid-19 is not airborne-transmitted
Both the CDC and WHO conclude that Covid-19 is spread through droplets, which are released when a person coughs or sneezes. This is the reason why proximity with someone who’s coughing or sneezing is dangerous since the droplets could... well, fall on you. It’s also the reason why washing your hands is essential because who knows what kind of gunk is on the stuff your hands have been on. The droplets are too heavy to be transmitted through the air. There is a question though whether people who are asymptomatic are able to spread the virus and the CDC says it might be possible, but everyone agrees people are more contagious when they’re coughing and sneezing away.
Coronavirus has nothing to do with Corona beer
Seriously guys. Seriously.
It is not an excuse to treat Asians or those coming from high-risk countries like crap
It’s not an excuse for you to run away from approaching Chinese or Korean people nor is it an excuse to shun your co-worker, who has returned from a Roman holiday. You
can be careful and not be a jerk about it. We’re all in this together (cue High School Musical).
And it is not an excuse to be oversensitive when people are just trying to be careful
I was at a press event where I met a friend, and when others approached them to shake their hand, they politely refused and explained they were just trying to be safe. Don’t go making a big deal when you sneeze or cough and people move away from you or if people refuse to shake your hand. People want to be careful. But as I previously pointed out, you can be careful and still be respectful.