- The best possible coronavirus tip comes from a doctor who warns that the worst mistake you could make during the pandemic is to share your air with other people.
- Coronavirus updates haven’t been terrific this week, as the world registered record numbers of daily cases, with the US responsible for more than a quarter of new infections.
- Outbreaks in America, Brazil, and India are fueling the surge, but other countries have witnessed an uptick in cases as well.
The novel coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down. Some Italian doctors may think their COVID-19 outbreak looks nothing like what happened in March or April, but that’s not the case in the US, Brazil, India, and several other places that have been seeing surges in cases as of late. The warm weather will do nothing to stop the virus. The virus won’t just disappear by itself at some point either, as Trump continues to believe.
The world has come a long way since the early months of the pandemic, and we have treatment protocols in place that work and can save lives. Countries are testing more people than ever, and there’s no shortage of PPE. But that doesn’t mean we can return to the way things were before mid-March. The massive increase in cases in several southern US states is proof that we can’t go back to normal. Florida, Texas, and Arizona have shattered record after record over the past few months, prompting officials to reconsider restrictions. It’s really up to everyone to respect a few common-sense guidelines to reduce the spread. And a doctor explains the worst coronavirus mistake you could be making right now.
“Now and until we find a workable vaccine, you don’t want to be sharing your air with anyone else but those in your household,” Dr. Leo Nissola writes on MSN.
Sharing your air is a euphemism for two different practices that can help reduce transmission. They’re not new, as we’ve been talking about them for several months now, and they work best when combined.
One of them is social distancing, of course. The more time you spend away from public places, especially restaurants and bars, the less likely you are to be infected. That’s especially true if your county is seeing a marked increase in cases. The second is using face masks when you’re out of the house.
That’s really the only way to stop sharing your air with others.
The novel coronavirus travels through droplets ejected through coughs and sneezes. But invisible particles that contain the virus can leave your mouth when you talk, cough, sing, or breathe. You could infect anyone around you if you don’t wear a mask. Similarly, other people could pass the virus to you if neither you nor they use face coverings. Even when in use, face masks do not guarantee 100% protection, and you can still get infected. But they can reduce the risk of transmission significantly.
“The public has been confused because of the lack of coordination between agencies, states, counties, and cities, and some people are rightfully upset over the lack of clear messaging. But make no mistake, wearing masks worked. Examples of this are how Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand have handled this public health crisis,” Nissola noted.
“Avoid indoor areas, crowded beaches, and when outside, wear a mask,” he added. “The number one mistake you can make is not wearing a mask. Here’s the bottom line: Don’t share your air. Wear a mask.”
The number of total global infections crossed 11 million as of Friday morning. The figure includes 4.377 million active cases and nearly 527,000 deaths. America’s COVID-19 count is at over 2.838 million cases, including over 1.510 million active cases, and over 131,500 deaths.
