Mayo Clinic: False alarms give rise to seven COVID-19 myths

Mayo Clinic News Network

Q: Q: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, I’ve heard that the virus and treatment options seem to be inconsistent with the information I read early on. I don’t know the reliable information. Can you clear some of the top myths about COVID-19?

A: The virus, now known as COVID-19, continues to be a hot topic all over the world. You’ve heard different theories about viruses, how they spread, and the severity of the illness they cause. Information about COVID-19 is changing rapidly as scientists are learning about viruses.

The following are facts about some major myths.

mythology: The surge in COVID-19 cases is due to an increase in tests.

fact: Increased infections are not related to increased testing. More worrisome than the number of tests performed is the increase in the percentage of positive results. This means that the virus is spreading rapidly in the community.

The COVID-19 test is very important because it helps people decide whether to self-isolate and guides the healthcare provider’s healthcare decisions. Extensive testing also allows local health departments to monitor the spread of the virus and make recommendations to schools and businesses.

mythology: Herd immunity can be achieved by spreading the virus throughout the population.

fact: Herd immunity occurs when the majority of the community (the population) has acquired immunity to the disease. This is unlikely to spread from person to person. As a result, the entire community is protected, not just those who are immune.

Relying on community infections to create herd immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19 presents some serious problems. First, it is not yet clear whether infection with the COVID-19 virus will immunize against future infections. If it does not produce immunity, the concept of group immunity does not work.

Even if COVID-19 infection produces long-term immunity to the COVID-19-causing virus SARS-CoV-2, many people need to be infected to reach the herd immunity threshold. Experts estimate that 70% of the US population (more than 200 million people) will have to recover from COVID-19 to stop the epidemic. This amount of infection can lead to serious and potentially long-term complications and deaths of millions. And if many people are infected with COVID-19 at once, the healthcare system can quickly be overwhelmed.

mythology: Only the elderly or those with underlying health become very ill and require hospitalization for COVID-19.

fact: People of all ages, including children, can be infected with COVID-19 and can be hospitalized due to the severity of the disease. The risk of developing dangerous symptoms with COVID-19 is in the elderly and people of all ages with other serious health problems such as heart and lung conditions, weakened immunity, severe obesity, and diabetes. It can be expensive.

mythology: COVID-19 is no worse than seasonal flu.

fact: You may have heard that COVID-19 resembles the flu. Both COVID-19 and influenza are infectious respiratory diseases caused by the virus, and people with COVID-19 and influenza may share some common symptoms, but after a close comparison, the virus Is known to have different effects on people, and the difference. Symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza appear at different times. Symptoms of COVID-19 usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. Influenza symptoms usually appear about 1 to 4 days after exposure. Using COVID-19 can result in loss of taste and odor.

COVID-19 is more contagious than influenza and appears to spread rapidly. Serious illnesses such as lung damage can occur more often with COVID-19 than with the flu. The mortality rate of COVID-19 also seems to be higher than that of influenza.

COVID-19 can also cause complications different from influenza, such as blood clots and multi-organ inflammatory syndrome. This is a new condition recently identified in children and adults.

Another difference is that influenza can be treated with antiviral drugs. There are no approved antiviral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19, but researchers are evaluating many drugs and treatments for the virus.

mythology: Cold weather can kill COVID-19.

fact: There is no scientific evidence to believe that cold climates can kill COVID-19 and other viruses. Normal human body temperature remains around 97.7-99.5 degrees Celsius, regardless of outside temperature or weather.

mythology: Taking antibiotics may prevent or treat COVID-19.

fact: Antibiotics treat only bacteria, not viruses. COVID-19 is caused by the virus, so do not use antibiotics to prevent or treat the virus. Some people hospitalized with COVID-19 are given antibiotics because they have different bacterial infections at the same time.

mythology: Fabric masks do not protect yourself or others from COVID-19.

fact: Simply put, wearing a cloth mask has been shown to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Studies have shown that a significant number of people infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic and are considered asymptomatic. These people may not know that the virus is infecting others when they speak, sneeze, cough, sing, scream, etc. ..

A cloth mask should be worn to reduce the chance of respiratory droplets being transmitted to those around you. You wear masks to protect others, and they wear masks to protect you. For the most accurate information on COVID-19, visit reliable sources such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the Mayo Clinic.