QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
Our reporters answer your questions about flu shots, travel, stay-at-home and more.
The Houston Chronicle is asking readers to submit questions and story ideas about the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Questions are answered online at houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus. Here are answers to some recent questions.
Q: Does a flu shot or pneumonia shot prevent me from contracting the new coronavirus?
A: No. While the flu and the novel coronavirus share some symptoms, they are the same. Physicians do, however, encourage everyone to get a flu shot and a pneumonia shot, if eligible, to ease the burden on the health care system down the line and to prevent complications if you have concurrent illnesses.
Q: How does the new coronavirus attack the body?
A: Once the virus enters your body through the ears, nose or eyes, it attaches itself to a “door” on the cells of the respiratory system, said Dr. Pedro Piedra, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine.
Ridges on the virus allow it to hook onto a cell, and the coronavirus fuses itself inside. Then, the coronavirus takes over. It kidnaps the cell and directs the body to replicate the virus, Piedra said.
The coronavirus itself can create enough direct injuries to the body that it causes an infection in the lungs, destroying itself and damaging the organ. The immune system also can become overzealous in fighting the virus, causing more destruction in the respiratory tract.
In most patients, people see symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. In the worst cases, patients can develop pneumonia in both lungs and multi-organ failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Q: Should we be concerned about travel from states where COVID-19 case counts are higher, like Louisiana?
A: At this point, the CDC is recommending that people refrain from nonessential travel during the pandemic. When people inevitably cross from Louisiana to Texas, state troopers will enforce travelers to self-quarantine for two weeks. Violators could be subject to either a $1,000 fine or 180 days in jail. Read staff writer Nicole Hensley’s reporting on this at houstonchronicle.com/virusborder. Under the new rules, drivers with commercial, medical, emergency response, military or critical infrastructure purposes for entering Texas are exempt.
Q: How can I protect my baby or toddler from the new coronavirus?
A: COVID-19 seems to be much milder in children than in adults, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. But children still can catch and spread the virus like anyone else, so it’s best to keep your child away from crowds and not put them in situations where they could break social distancing rules.
Clean the surfaces in your home frequently, launder their clothes and plush toys, teach children to wash their hands properly and make sure they stay away from people who are sick, the CDC advises. If your child is at an age where they don’t understand the situation and can’t keep their hands out of their mouth and face, it’s especially important to disinfect your home and their toys often.
Q: Does the state have a stay-at-home order?
A: Yes. Although Gov. Greg Abbott has stopped short of labeling it as such, his executive order is, for all intents and purposes, a statewide stay-at-home order. The order, which went into effect on Thursday morning, “requires all Texans to stay at home” except for essential activities. It differs from many local orders in that it considers houses of worship to be essential.
But Abbott has said that houses of worship must, whenever possible, conduct their activities from home or through remote audio or video services. In places where “substantial” community spread of coronavirus has not yet occurred, Abbott said that in-person gatherings are allowed as long as they follow all CDC guidelines, such as instructing the sick to stay home and keeping six feet of distance between people.