The coronavirus has also brought an epidemic of misinformation and exaggeration. This virus, the covid-19, is spread more easily than others, it is true, but the images of people with masks and the constant numbers of patients out of context facilitate the spread of errors and false rumors.
Despite the fact that the health authorities do not tire of repeating that we are exaggerating attention, the coronavirus epidemic has raised all the alarms.
"There is talk of rumors, anecdotes, some specific information and what is achieved is a detriment when the most important thing is that we remain calm," explains Dr. Antoni Trilla, head of the epidemiology service at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
Now that some cases are beginning to be detected in Spain, we are going to analyze what real risk there is of getting it, because a lot of information has run without contrasting.
1. IT IS THE MOST CONTAGIOUS VIRUS
It is not the most contagious disease. Chickenpox, measles, and other diseases are more contagious.
Compared to other previous coronaviruses, like the one that caused SARS, yes. Covid-19 is much easier to spread.
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However, it causes a much less dangerous infection. That is, even if you are infected, the chances of you becoming seriously ill are very low.
In 80% of cases it occurs in a mild form.
In another 18% it is more severe, and you develop pneumonia, so you need hospital treatment.
Pneumonia can be complicated and life threatening by 2%.
2. IT IS SPREAD AT ANY DISTANCE
No. This coronavirus, like others, is transmitted by drops and contact. They are the drops that are expelled through the nose and mouth. What is medically called aerosols.
By talking, coughing or singing we generate this spray.
It can be transmitted if you are a meter or two from the patient
This spray can be breathed by a person who is 1.5 meters away from the sick person and can become infected. At eight meters, no.
In addition, "that does not mean that it is going to be infected safely, but it is one of the most common routes of transmission," says the doctor.
3. I CAN CONTACT ME IF I CROSS AN AFFECTED
No. "We think, and in this we are quite convinced, that the contact has to be long," specifies Dr. Trilla.
Passing through the street next to a sick person does not infect
In other words, it is a contact that predisposes us to be able to "spray" us continuously with its air. Some examples:
A relative with whom we live together at home.
A coworker you spend a lot of time with.
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Closed meeting room where you are talking for a long time.
A plane neighbor with whom we spent several hours sitting.
Not crossing in a hallway or on the street will cause a spread of the coronavirus.
4. THE MASK IS A GOOD PROTECTION
No. The masks do not protect from contagion if they are not masks with a special filter and that are only used by professionals in hospitals.
Masks cannot be thought of as protection:
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It prevents us from spraying if we are sick, but it does not prevent us from breathing the particles of an infected person.
It is a very relative protection and we cannot trust and relax in other more effective measures such as washing our hands.
They are an aid to prevent the spread in epidemic areas. Today there are no Spain.
"Outside the hospital and in areas without epidemics, which is all of Spain right now, there is no reason to use it," says epidemiologist Trilla.
5. IT IS EXTENDING WITHOUT CONTROL
Not quite. We experience each new case in Europe as a great alarm, but they are few compared to other diseases.
Authorities are taking drastic measures to curb them in light of the panic it has created.
It is not controlled, but there are not so many foci
70% of the sick are in a single city, in and around Wuhan. Outside of this city, in the rest of China the frequency of infections is lower and is slowing down.
"It is logical that we hear new cases elsewhere and we will continue to hear cases," admits Dr. Trilla.
6. THE VIRUSES WILL GO DOWN IN GOOD TIME
It is not proven that the virus is going to behave exactly like other viruses, such as the flu virus, which does reduce the epidemic with heat.
"Some of us think that it has a seasonality factor and the heat will reduce its spread, but other experts believe that this virus is not as sensitive to heat," explains the epidemiologist.
The reality is that you will not be able to know for sure until the temperatures rise and we see how it behaves.
7. SPREAD BY TOUCHING MONEY OR RECEIVING A PACKAGE
It is obvious that money is touched by many people. There is a greater risk of it passing through the hands of an infected person than coughing on it.
However, banknotes are a porous material. If it is not a smooth surface or that does not allow water to penetrate, viruses last a short time, at most hours.
Packages and money have little risk of contagion
Anyway, it doesn't hurt to wash your hands after touching money.
"Touching a ticket is not risky, but if you have spent the morning counting bills or have done it many times in a day, wash your hands and make sure you don't get it," advises the doctor.
Packages are also a porous material, and viruses do not hold assets. But if you hesitate, wash your hands!
8. IT IS COMPULSORY TO WASH WITH SOAP
No. Experts insist that the important thing is to wash your hands, in any case.
"If we washed our hands more often, we would help cut transmission not only of this, but also of a large part of the viruses that circulate," says the doctor.
The important thing is to wash: with water or disinfectant
With water alone it is fine, better if we do it with soap, but it is not essential. And if we don't have a sink nearby, disinfecting gels. Everything helps.
The more often we clean our hands, the more protection, because then those hands touch the face and eyes and thus viruses enter.
9. IF YOU HAVE HAD IT ONCE YOU ARE ALREADY IMMUNIZED
"We do not know. We are waiting for studies to see if it leaves immunity and how long that immunity has, "admits the doctor.
It is very important information. If there is no immunity, the chances of finding a vaccine will also be much more complex.
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At the moment there is no clear information. Suspicions have appeared from people already cured, not who have relapsed but who may have infected others.
These are conjectures that could not be established with precision and therefore, there are still no reliable data.
10. THE WORLD ALARM IS JUSTIFIED
As the WHO says, we are facing an infodemic, an information epidemic.
There is a contagion of fear that is also important. The psychological part, the weight of the impact press creates that some people have excessive worry.
Fear causes us to excessively change our lives
There are even people who are obsessed with this and it can harm them. They stay on the downside and don't hear that there is a large proportion of infected who are cured.
We can not stay with the virality of the networks and the hoaxes that run. Fear causes us to make wrong decisions, such as excessively changing our habits.
TO KNOW MORE
The WHO has issued a series of warnings to try to eradicate many other rumors that are spreading around the world.
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