Dispelling Myths and Misinformation — Face Masks and the COVID-19 Vaccine

 

As I’ve been talking to friends, colleagues and acquaintances, I’ve noted that the degree of misinformation and lack of understanding about face masks and the COVID-19 vaccine is staggering. So, since I’m a scientist by training, I’m providing some brief insights into this topic, which is important from a public health perspective.

1- Many people say face masks don’t work, a most curious statement given that I wonder how many people would want to have surgery if their surgeon as well as anesthesiologist and others in the operating room didn’t wear a face mask. We’ve known that face masks that cover your nose and mouth prevent the transmission of disease-causing organisms since the late 1800s. 

2- Other people claim that if you’ve been vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Untrue. If you’ve already had COVID-19 or you’ve been vaccinated, you still need to wear a face mask. That’s because the vaccine, like all vaccines, is not 100% protective. But, more importantly, because the COVID-19 virus — referred to as SARS-CoV-2 — had been allowed to spread unchecked or poorly checked in so many countries (including Brazil, the UK and South Africa), the virus mutated, resulting in an array of variants that are more infectious, more lethal or both. So you need to continue wearing a mask after you’ve been vaccinated if you’re around unvaccinated people. 

3- I’ve heard many people claiming they’re not getting vaccinated because they believe the vaccine was “rushed,” and wasn’t properly tested. Not true. Maybe people think it’s been rushed because we’re all accustomed to traditional vaccines that take a minimum of four to five years to develop. Those vaccines require growing the infectious organism in the lab. That’s not how the COVID-19 vaccine was developed. It depended on making synthetic viral mRNA, a segment of a molecule that would code for not the virus but its spike protein. And this research into mRNA has been going on for years. In fact, scientists have been studying it for a litany of infectious diseases, including rabies, Zika and the flu. So, there was no rush to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. It was the result of a long history of scientific studies. 

4- I was surprised to hear many people believe that if you get the vaccine it will do something to your DNA, changing it irreparably. In fact, one person said to me “Once you get the vaccine, it’s forever.” I wasn’t even sure what that meant. In fact, the mRNA in the vaccine does not and cannot enter the cell’s nucleus where DNA resides. In addition, after you get the vaccine and the mRNA forms the viral spike protein so the immune system is activated and ready to defend us against the virus, that mRNA is broken down by the body. End of the story. No changes are made in the body’s DNA.

5- Finally, there are people who claim they’re not getting the vaccine because they don’t trust the pharmaceutical companies or the government. Does that mean that these same people refuse medications when they have an illness, refuse to go to the hospital when they need treatment including surgery? I think not. 

Get vaccinated when it’s your turn and wear a face mask. It’s for your good and that of your neighbor. After all, we’re all in this together. 

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Hotel Stays and Travels (by car) in the time of COVID - Strategies

For the last many months, I’ve been renting a car and visiting scenic (and peaceful) locales within two hours of my home in New York City. That mostly meant small towns and villages in Connecticut and New York’s Hudson Valley. Here are some of the strategies I used in the time of COVID to deal with the car rental and the accommodations.

Here’s the COVID kit I pack for the trip:

— Clorox wipes

— DIY bleach disinfectant: two tablespoons of bleach to one quart of water in a spray bottle

— paper towels

— two-ply face masks and three-ply surgical masks

— polypropylene face mask filters

— goggles

— alcohol swabs

— alcohol-based hand sanitizer

— a bottle of 70% alcohol

— latex-free gloves

— detergent to wash face masks and washable polypropylene filters

Strategies with the Car Rental:

— Rent at a small location, not an airport. 

— I rent mid-week, hoping it’s less busy than a weekend

— All transactions are done outdoors

— Even though the car has been cleaned/disinfected, I disinfect all contact surfaces myself with bleach

— I keep the windows open for the first hour of the journey to allow for fresh airflow

— I choose a destination that’s short — more than 2-3 hours or from home — so there are no need for bathroom breaks

Strategies with the Accommodation:

— I choose only small hotels/inns where I can speak with the person in charge — preferably the owner — and directly assess their COVID consciousness

— I assess their COVID strategies for disinfecting and cleaning, as well as whether the staff (and guests) must wear masks over their nose and mouth 100% of the time in public places

— I ask them when was my room last occupied by a guest. I prefer a room that was unoccupied for a minimum of 24 hours. 

—  I request that they leave at least one window open for fresh air

— I choose a room that doesn’t require navigating through the building to get to my door, preferably a room in the rear of the accommodation with a separate entrance.

— I ask if I can eat in the room or, if it’s good weather, if there is a place outdoors to eat where I will not have to interact with other guests. After all, I’ll be getting take-out meals only. (I don’t eat indoors nor do I eat meals at outdoor venues near other patrons.)

— Check-in is best done contactless

— I request that no one enter my room during my stay, in other words, no room service

— if they serve breakfast, I ask if it can be delivered outside my door

— Once I’m in my room, I disinfect all contact surfaces with bleach

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Protecting Myself From Coronavirus

Many people are asking me what I’m doing during this

coronavirus pandemic. I’m certainly overly cautious,

especially given my background in microbiology, physiology

and epidemiology. Now, in New York City, we have to social-distance, and notgo out of the house, except for necessities. Given that I live in a distant NYC suburb without a car, I have to venture out on foot to buy groceries. Here’s 
what I do.

Whenever I have access to soap and water, I thoroughly

wash all the surfaces of my hands.

I carry Purell in my pocket and use it liberally when soap and

water is not available.

I don’t touch my hands to my mouth, eyes or nose.

I also carry Lysol wipes and use this on any surface I will be

touching.

I don’t get within six feet of anyone. 

Whenever I have to open a door or touch a handrail, I do

so with a Lysol wipe in my hand or I wear one cloth glove.

But the glove, of course, becomes contaminated and, once

I get home, I disinfect it by rinsing in chlorine. (I don’t let

the glove touch my bare hands or anything else I will be

touching.)

I use a diluted solution of alcohol on my iPhone if it was

somehow set on a surface that I neglected to wipe down with Lysol.

While I’ve seen people reusing N-95 masks or surgical masks

-- the latter are not effective against the coronovirus -- most

are single-use masks and are not to be reused. In addition,

if you are wearing a mask and you take it off, you have to properly

clean your hands that touched the mask.

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Dispelling Myths on Coronavirus

I've been traveling recently. And, whether I was on NJ Transit to Newark Airport or catching up with friends and colleagues on Facebook, I sadly have been confronted with a lack of understanding of science and infectious disease, in this case the coronavirus epidemic (pandemic). Here are some of the myths and facts related to the coronavirus outbreak:

Myth: If you got a flu shot and maybe the pneumonia vaccine, you're ok.

Fact: Not true. Though getting both the flu and pneumonia vaccines (if you are over 65) would reduce the likelihood of you getting either disease that would compound your problems, they do not protect you from the coronavirus.

Myth: Scientists will have a coronavirus vaccine in a couple of months.

Fact: Not true. The development of a vaccine that will be used in humans requires a number of steps that require clinical trials, first with a small number of subjects and then with a much larger sample size. That being said, it's likely we will not see a vaccine for at least a year or more.

Myth: Only old people get sick from the coronavirus.

Fact: Though we are not seeing very young children getting sick, one of the early cases of coronavirus on the west coast was a teenager. And now there are reports that large percentages (almost 40%) of hospitalized cases in the U.S. are in ages 20s to 50s. Though most of the deaths have been among older people. Anyone can get sick with the coronavirus, though most everyone will have mild symptoms. But anyone who is immunocompromised or has an underlying health condition (such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cardiac disease) -- especially if they are older -- has an increased risk of a more serious illness.

Myth: Coronavirus doesn't stay on surfaces for very long so there's no worries about touching a surface that hasn't been in use for awhile.

Fact: It's believed that the coronavirus can remain viable on surfaces for several hours up to a few days. But it depends on the surface and the amount of virus. For example, the virus may remain viable longer on metal than cloth surface. If you think a surface may be contaminated, use a disinfectant cloth (such as Lysol) to wipe it down and, of course, wash your hands with soap and water, or, if it's not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol.

Myth: Taking vitamin C supplements, drinking green tea, eating garlic, or ingesting probiotics can help prevent coronavirus.

Fact: No. These natural remedies will neither protect you from this novel coronavirus nor can they treat the condition should you become sick. Neither will antibiotics work as a treatment since this is a viral infection, not a bacterial illness.

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Gear Review: Collapsible Water Bottle

On my recent trip to Sri Lanka, I decided to pack even lighter than usual. Of course, I never check luggage -- even when traveling internationally for 6+ weeks. But, this time, I wanted to minimize the number of bulky items I packed because I planned to stow my soft luggage under my seat rather than in the overhead compartment. Aside from one extra pair of shoes, the bulkiest item was my special water bottle that is a water filter. So, instead of traveling with the Lifestraw Go bottle, I purchased the Katadyn BeFree which is a soft, collapsible, BPA-free flask. It comes in three sizes: a little over half a liter, as well as one liter and three liter models. (I picked the half liter model for my travels.) Weighing in at just two ounces and packing relatively small, this was ideal for my journey. You simply suck from the spout and the filter removes 99.9% of protozoa and 99.9999% of bacteria from the water (It doesn't remove viruses.) And, when you unscrew the spout, the wide mouth of the flask makes it easy to fill from the faucet.

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More Travel Health Myths

When I travel, I’m often shocked by the myriad old wives tales, myths and down-home health advice that persist, even among some of the savviest people. On one of my recent trips, when I sat down to lunch with my guide, I was a little surprised to see him order a shot of whiskey, something he ended up doing before every meal! I finally asked what was up with this? He replied: “I do it to prevent getting a stomach flu from eating bad food.”  I recently wrote an article for Berkeley Wellness, a collaboration with the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health on travel health myths and misconceptions, including whether drinking alcohol can prevent gastrointestinal woes.

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Kids First-Aid Kit Organizer - Only 2 Left

A well-stocked first-aid kit is often an afterthought when packing for travels, whether it's a short road trip or a journey to far-flung lands. But, if you're traveling with children, it's especially important to pack items that can tackle anything from a simple skin rash to an insect bite. A well-stocked first-aid kit certainly doesn't preclude visiting a pediatrician should your child develop a fever or have an allergy reaction. But it can take away the worry for minor cuts, bruises or ills.

My Kids Doc-in-a-Bag is not stocked with first-aid supplies. Rather, this is a zippered vinyl sac that comes with a comprehensive laminated list of what you need to include in your kids first-aid kit. On the list are things such as child-safe sunscreen and insect repellent, topical cortisone for rashes or insect bites, as well as kids Benadryl (antihistamine) for mild allergic reactions.

There are only two Kids Doc-in-a-Bag left in stock.
I'm including samples of Tummy Drops, a natural product containing ginger created by a gastroenterologist. (Perfect for motion sickness, whether on the plane, in a car, or on a ferry.)

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Travel Health Misunderstandings

I thought most travelers know at least some of the basics of how to stay healthy when traveling to developing countries. (This is a nice infographic on the topic from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention -- CDC.) But after a few recent international trips, I realized that some travelers have their own interpretation of well-established guidelines, interpretations that leave them open to coming down with a food-borne illness. Here's what I recently observed:

1- When a hot dish arrives on a plate with cold garnishes, such as tomatoes and lettuce, is it OK to eat the produce? The people on my trip all thought so but the correct answer would be "no,." All food you consume should be hot. Just because it's a garnish doesn't mean it's safe to eat it cold.

2- When fruit arrives already peeled in your bowl for breakfast, do you eat it? Apparently many people thought that eating peeled fruit is exactly what you should be doing. But the misinterpretation is that you're supposed to peel the fruit, not someone in the kitchen, where you don't know how the fruit or the knives were washed, nor the hygiene of the kitchen staff or the kitchen.

3- Is it a good idea to drink juice at breakfast? Everyone but me thought this was a good idea. In fact, it's risky unless you know 100% that the juice was not diluted with unsafe water.

4- What about undercooked fried eggs where the yolk is runny; is it safe? Most everyone at my table ate the runny yolk but this isn't the safest strategy. Eggs should not be undercooked.

5- How about a cold sandwich for a picnic lunch made with lettuce, avocado, onions and other cold fixings? Absolutely not. But, then, I was one of the only people who prepared my own sandwiches, relying on peanut butter that I brought with me.

6- Cheese must be safe, right? Not necessarily. Soft cheeses, even in developed countries including in the U.S. and Canada, have been linked with food-borne illness, specifically contamination with a bacteria called Listeria; and if cheese is not properly refrigerated or made from unpasteurized milk, it should also be off limits. Yet, this didn't stop many of the travelers I met from spontaneously ordering cheese sandwiches or buying cheese from small road-side shops with potentially questionable refrigeration conditions.

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How To Stay Healthy When Traveling

We all know not to drink the water or eat the raw fruit when traveling. But there's so much more to staying healthy when you're on the road. A couple of days ago, I gave a roundtable presentation at the New York Travel Festival entitled "How to Stay Healthy When Traveling." I revealed a variety of less-known ways to avoid foodborne illness, including avoiding fruit juices that can often be diluted with tap water as well as swearing off buffets because various flying insects that are vectors for disease can alight; what small device you should always pack when visiting developing countries -- it's the Steri-Pen, a UV-light water purifer; why you should take Pepto Bismol before you ever get sick -- if you follow a particular protocol of taking two chewable tabs before each meal and at bedtime it can significantly reduce the risk of traveler's belly; and what device can prevent motion sickness - it's the Relief-Band, a battery-powered device that stimulates the anti-nausea acupressure point on the risk. This private link bit.ly/BaroneHealth is an abbreviated list of recommended travel first-aid supplies. For the full-list as well as several free samples/product discount coupons, visit my store where I sell Doc-in-a-Bag, the unique travel first-aid kit organizer.

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Radio Interview: Staying Healthy When Traveling

Nothing can ruin a vacation or any journey, especially to far-flung lands than an illness or injury. I've spent years learning from bad experiences, as well as taking what I've learned from my vast background in health, medicine and biology and putting it all into practice to prevent travel-related ills. So I was delighted to be interviewed on this topic by Mary and Robert Carey on the radio program: Rudy Maxa's World with the Careys. Click on the button below to find out some of the things I recommend.

...

To listen to the entire show, visit this website: 

You can listen to Rudy Maxa's World with the Careys here.

And, for more practical information, check out Doc-in-a-Bag, the unique travel first-aid organizer.

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Staying Healthy When Traveling

No matter where in the world I'm traveling, staying healthy is my key concern. Because, after all, nothing can ruin a trip more than an unexpected illness or injury.  Diana Price recently interviewed me on this topic for Women magazine. Among the many things I discussed was carrying a well-stocked first-aid kit, like what I recommend in Doc-in-a-Bag, a travel first-aid kit organizer that I designed.  To find out more about what I recommend, click on the link to the article "Go Far, Be Well."

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New Poké Restaurant in New York City

Standing on the corner of Third Avenue and 38th street -- a part of New York City I could call my virtual home -- I stared at a curb sign declaring “Sons of Thunder” with an arrow pointing east on 38th. It was barely 9 am and I hesitated following the arrow, wondering if this was some after hours club that forgot to take down their sign. (I hadn’t bothered to read the rest of the sign: poké.)

For those not in the know, poké is the ubiquitous Hawaiian thickly sliced, raw fish side dish that’s typically served atop rice with a soy-based or other sauces. It can be found anywhere and everywhere on the Hawaiian islands, from convenience stores to gas station markets.

That morning, I ended up circling the neighborhood, doing errands, and, intrigued by the curb sign, made my way back to 38th Street where I met John and his brother James, the delightful owners of Sons of Thunder, a name referring to a childhood nickname for the brothers.

James told me, “The idea for the restaurant was for it to be like a Hawaiian beach shack serving burgers, and chili dogs; poké would be a special." (The Hawaiian theme is a result of their grandparents emigrateing from South Korea to the U.S. via Honolulu; much later the family moved to San Diego.) But because of an unforeseen problem with the gas lines, Con Ed couldn’t turn on the gas for awhile. That meant no grilled chicken, burgers or fries. So it became poké all the way. “It was a blessing. If we had had the gas, we would never have explore it,” said James.

Yes, the menu is limited for now, but it’s a yummy one. (You can choose from among salmon, ahi tuna, steamed octopus or tofu.) My favorite dish is the salmon tostada made with chopped sashimi grade fish, baby greens, avocado and chili dust served on a warm corn tostada  that’s drizzled with baja salsa. Another dish -- it’s not on the menu -- is a bowl of brown rice and house-made beef chili paired with edamame, diced tomatoes, warm cheddar cheese sauce, onions and avocado slices. (If you're really hungry or if you stop by with a friend, order both.)

The brothers are very much attracted to a green ethic. Their ice cream is organic and locally sourced. The salmon is shipped in from the Faroe Islands -- yes, you heard right, all the way from the pristine Faroe Islands [you gotta love these guys] -- where the fish is farmed sustainably in its natural habitat using no chemicals. They have one white and one red wine on tap -- I prefer the bright, red berry notes of the red -- from the Finger Lakes region of New York State.

Meat eaters clamor for the chili cheese dog -- you can ask for fresh jalapeno for an added kick; or the banh mi dog served with mayonnaise, cilantro and jalapeno.

I prefer eating in since light streams into this sparsely furnished, informal space, thanks to an immense skylight in the rear dining room.

If you’re in Midtown East -- or even if you’re not -- this is a restaurant worth checking out. Even without the grilled items, you’ll delight in the fresh food, the creative preparation and the hospitality of the staff.

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