Orlando Sentinel (Sunday)

If you get COVID-19, can you catch it again?

- By Roy Parry If you’ve got questions, email rparry@orlandosen­tinel.com. All guidance is subject to change based on new informatio­n and recommenda­tions from health care profession­als.

Here are answers to some commonly-asked questions about making social choices during the coronaviru­s pandemic:

Libby Richards, an associate professor at the Purdue University School of Nursing who teaches courses on population health, said research is ongoing in that area but has yet to yield concrete results.

“Unfortunat­ely, we do not yet know for sure,” she wrote in an email to the Sentinel. “Early research is promising. However, if there is immunity, we do not know how long it will last. Some exposure to viruses such as measles or chickenpox provides lifelong immunity while other viral infections result in immunity for only a year or two.

Is it safe to go swimming? What effect does a chlorinate­d pool have on the virus?

Richards: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread through the use of pools and hot tubs. The key is that the pool or hot tub is in proper operation and has been properly maintained with adequate amounts of disinfecta­nts such as chlorine or bromine. Proper filtration and use of disinfecta­nts in pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the COVID-19 virus.”

The CDC recommends being careful entering and exiting a swimming pool, lake or ocean, stressing those areas present the most risk for getting COVID-19. If you can practice social distancing, wash your hands after touching any shared surfaces, bring your own towel or chair and favor outdoor water spots rather than indoor spaces, you dramatical­ly reduce the

chances of spreading the virus.

How do allergy sufferers differenti­ate between that and COVID-19 symptoms? And do allergy issues compromise your immune system to the point where you would be more susceptibl­e to COVID-19?

Allergy season, particular­ly here in Florida, can wreak havoc on parts of your respirator­y system, so paying attention to your symptoms is important.

Richards said that may change, said the crucial symptoms to watch for are a fever and shortness of breath.

“Allergies typically don’t involve a fever and that is a key symptom of COVID-19,” she said. “Shortness of breath is also not as common with allergies, which is another distinguis­hing feature of COVID-19. In addition, we currently don’t have evidence available that having allergies puts someone at greater risk for complicati­ons from COVID-19.”

If I buy produce at my local grocery store, what do I do with the items when I get home? Should I use Clorox to clean them?

The CDC reports there is no evidence to support transmissi­on of COVID-19 associated with food.

However, an important step in any food preparatio­n – pandemic or not – is to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before you get started. That’s simply general food safety, Richards said.

If you bring in your packaged products and wipe them down, it’s important to wipe down the hard surfaces that have been contacted by the packages.

Richards said it’s important to realize that using sanitizer or soaps on food products and packaging can increase the likelihood of ingesting harmful chemicals. In terms of what you use to clean your produce, bleach is a bad idea. In fact, any chemicals should be off limits.

“You should wash produce just like normal (in cool water) but don’t use soap or chemicals to clean your produce,” Richards said.

She said her personal preference is to put away groceries, wash the produce, clean her countertop­s and then wash her hands.

“If products can be removed from their original packaging and put into airtight storage [think Tupperware] then I also do that and dispose of the original packaging. But I am still not worried about getting infected from packaging,” she said. “I keep my hands clean and avoid touching my face.”

 ?? STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL ?? A nasal swab specimen collection is taken at a coronaviru­s drive-through testing site at Adult Medicine of Lake County in Mount Dora.
STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL A nasal swab specimen collection is taken at a coronaviru­s drive-through testing site at Adult Medicine of Lake County in Mount Dora.

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