The COVID-19 virus, now officially named SARS-CoV-2, has rocked the entire globe, and it has thrown us all for a loop as far as our sense of reality goes. Most of our lives have been turned upside-down and completely rearranged by the impact of this virus, so it is extremely important right now for your information to be correct about the virus, for the sake of your health.
Here are six currently circulating myths about the coronavirus.
- COVID-19 is Only Transmissible in Hot and/or Humid Climates.
COVID-19 can be transmitted in all types of weather, despite the claims of some, who have speculated that this virus is seasonal. Dr. Marc Lipsitch, DPhil, professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, says that the 2003 SARS experience is not indicative of what COVID-19 will do, and that, “…while we may expect modest declines in the contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2 in warmer, wetter weather…it is not reasonable to expect these declines alone to slow transmission enough to make a big dent.”
2. Spraying Alcohol or Chlorine All Over Your Body Can Kill COVID-19.
After the virus has already entered your body, no amount of chemicals on the outside of your body will kill it or reduce the damage that it is doing. According to the WHO, “Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes such as the eyes and mouth.” Alcohol and chlorine should only be used to sanitize surfaces like counter tops, plastic, wood, metal, doorknobs, etc., and never your skin.
3. Rinsing Your Nose with Saline Solution Can Kill the Coronavirus
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and others, there is absolutely no evidence that this is true, although you may recover more quickly from a stuffy nose or the common cold by rinsing your nose with saline. However, the common cold is caused by a much less severe virus than COVID-19.
4. You Have to be in Contact with an Infected Person for 10 Full Minutes to Contract COVID-19
Although the Washington State Department of Health put out a paper on March 17
th, 2020 that stated that you may be infected with COVID-19 if you are “…within 6-feet of a sick person with COVID-19 for about 10 minutes,” the virus can be transmitted several other ways. These include being coughed on, kissing an infected person, or sharing utensils, all of which can take less than 10 minutes.
5. Antibiotics Kill COVID-19
As always, antibiotics ONLY kill bacteria, and have absolutely no effect on viruses.
6. Coronavirus is the Deadliest Virus Known to Man
Since COVID-19 has only been around for a few months, we don’t know this information yet, and there are several other viruses that have had higher mortality rates so far. For instance, the Ebola virus is one of these.
