Doctors: Don’t panic but be prepared for COVID-19

Don’t panic and stop getting your information on COVID-19 from social media.

Be alert but don’t get anxious. Those are the doctor’s orders.

“The general public should be prepared but not panic,” said Nitin Bhanot, Allegheny Health Network division director of infectious disease. “Whenever there’s something new out in the environment, people tend to be fearful and anxious because they don’t have enough information.”

Dr. Bhanot said to avoid getting information from Facebook, other social media sites or even the Post-Gazette. Instead, he says the information you need is available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website or the World Health Organization website.

What is COVID-19 and what does it look like?

COVID-19, a coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, in December continues spreading worldwide with nearly 90,000 cases to date. Symptoms, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, can be life-threatening to older patients and those with weakened immune systems.

As of Wednesday, the United States has had 80 confirmed cases in 13 states, including 11 deaths, the CDC reports, noting that 76 countries have COVID-19 cases within their borders.

One key reason to avoid panic is the fact that it’s still influenza season, and a brutal one, with the CDC reporting up to 45 million cases nationwide in the 2019-2020 season and an estimated range of 18,000 to 46,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization has said that COVID19 is deadlier that the flu.

How to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19 (and flu)?

These recommendations to reduce one’s COVID-19 (and flu) risk come from Dr. Bhanot, UPMC, and the CDC:

• Check the CDC or WHO websites to see where infections are geographical and whether the number of infections is growing.

• Have a ready supply of the same medications used to treat influenza including ibuprofen, Tylenol or aspirin.

• Have a sufficient supply of food available but don’t overstock the refrigerator. If you do get sick, you won’t want to make trips to the grocery store or pharmacy.

• Travel requires homework. Stay clear of China, Korea and even Italy unless the trip is absolutely necessary. Weigh risks and benefits, Dr. Bhanot said, noting that, within reason, there’s no immediate need to postpone domestic trips.

• Wash your hands with hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds — long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice. The CDC has an entire website on proper hand-washing procedures.

• Clean commonly used surfaces with disinfectant.

• Keep your distance (about 6 feet) from anyone who is sick.

• Facemasks don’t work well in preventing infection and are recommended for medical personnel but not the general public. “The role of facemasks is for patient source control, to prevent contamination of the surrounding area when a person coughs or sneezes. Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should wear a facemask,” the CDC says.

What should you do if you do get sick?

• If you are sick, stay home. Don’t go to work, school or the store, if possible.

• Sneeze into a tissue or, at the very least, the crook of the arm.

• Should you become ill, especially with a runny nose and fever, undergo medical testing. The physician will ask whether you traveled recently or have interacted with someone who has traveled. If the flu test proves negative, the physician likely will have you tested for COVID-19. UPMC is working quickly to develop COVID-19 testing capabilities, its website states. Don’t panic

Dr. Bhanot said he wouldn’t be surprised to see a local case of COVID-19 at some point but that shouldn’t cause any panic.

“We don’t want people to worry too much or spread rumors,” he said. “Be calm and composed. Follow reliable resources of information and be up to date with diseases trends.”

What’s the risk?

So that leads to everyone’s risk assessment for the infection and the CDC provides the following:

• For most of the American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.

• For people in communities where the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading, the risks of exposure are elevated, though the risk still is relatively low.

• Health care workers caring for patients with COVID19 are at elevated risk of exposure.

• Close contact with people with COVID-19 puts you at elevated risk of exposure.

• Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure.