Is carry-out OK? When do symptoms appear?
USA TODAY answers your questions about coronavirus
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to shut down daily life across the globe, thousands of our readers across the nation have asked us questions about COVID-19.
And we’re answering them.
Is it advantageous for a younger healthy person to get the coronavirus to build immunity to it?
– Danny from Sundance, Wyoming
No, for several reasons, says Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
While a protective antibody is generated in those who are infected, scientists are not yet sure whether that immunity will last for a short period of time, for years or for life. Some say the possibility of reinfection is very likely.
Moreover, while initial reports out of China suggested that the virus posed low risk to younger people, reports out of Europe are causing “concern” among top U.S. health officials. “We have not seen any significant morality in the children, but we are concerned about the early reports coming out of Italy and France,” Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said Wednesday.
A recent study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children at all ages are susceptible to COVID-19 and that young children, particularly infants, are vulnerable to infection. Of more than 2,000 child patients in China, about 10% of infants younger than 1 year old had severe and critical cases, followed by 7% among children 1-5, 4% among children 6-10, 4% among children 11-15 and and 3% for children older than 16 years. At least one 14-year-old boy has died in China.
Finally, it’s important to avoid getting and spreading the virus. While the young may not be the most at risk, they’re carrying the disease to those who are more vulnerable, such as older people and those with underlying conditions. Birx on Wednesday urged “the millennial generation” to take special precautions. “You have the potential to spread it,” she said.
Does getting pneumonia shots given to elderly people help if you get this virus?
– Linda from Hendersonville, Tennessee
Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization. The vaccines simply guard against those specific bacterial infections.
The COVID-19 virus can, in fact, cause pneumonia, but the vaccines cannot prevent this pneumonia.
I see people in my neighborhood out running, riding bikes and walking their dogs. Is that OK?
– Patti from Carmel, Indiana
Yes, that’s OK! Just be sure to maintain distance from other people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a distance of about 6 feet.
Even in some California counties where residents are being asked to stay home and “shelter in place,” it’s still fine to go for a run, hike or do other outdoor activities, as long as proper social distancing is observed, according to local health officials.
Just remember: The White House recommends that you should avoid social gatherings involving more than 10 people, as well as all non-essential travel, shopping trips and social visits.
Is it safe to get carry-out food?
– Debby from Omena, Michigan
The CDC and WHO have not issued formal guidance on carry-out food.
While the CDC says that there is no evidence to support transmission associated with food, a person may get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own face. The virus can, for example, survive on cardboard up to 24 hours, according to a recent study.
The issue of carry-out food also raises concerns about the risk couriers are facing by interacting with customers during their shifts. That’s why some companies are now offering “contactless” delivery options that help people maintain social distancing by allowing couriers to ring the doorbell and leave the package outside.