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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Protecting Yourself From The New Coronavirus

Most people don't have a background in microbiology or infectious diseases. So, it's understandable why many are either in a state of denial or a state of panic regarding the new (novel) coronavirus outbreak that started in China and now has spread to numerous countries, including the U.S.


This virus tends to lodge in the lungs. It typically presents with fever, coughing and fatigue. Most people may feel like they would when they get a bad flu. But if someone is immunocompromised, is older and not well because of another condition (such as respiratory or cardiac problems), the symptoms may worsen to shortness of breath and require hospitalization.

Here's what you need to know to protect yourself:


Wash your hands thoroughly and often whenever you touch a surface of any sort or if you touch another person, as in shaking hands (which you should avoid).

When washing your hands with soap and water, do so for at least 20 seconds.

When soap and water is not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Do not use a non-alcohol-based sanitizer.

Don't touch your hands to your face, including your eyes, nose and mouth.

In your home or office, use a disinfectant wipe or spray to clean surfaces.

Though there's no vaccine for coronavirus as yet and probably won't be for at least a year or so, you should make sure that you've gotten a flu vaccine as well as the vaccinations for bacterial pneumonia (pneumococcal pneumonia). Though neither of these vaccines will have anything to do with preventing the new coronavirus infection, getting these vaccinations makes it less likely that you are not otherwise medically compromised and that you'll have the need to visit a hospital or doctor's office where you'd be in close proximity to other sick people.

If you become sick, stay at home so that you don't spread any infection to others.

When you sneeze or cough, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, for example, to prevent droplets with infectious organisms from spreading to others or to surfaces. Throw these tissues in the garbage rather than letting them touch a surface. Otherwise sneeze or cough in the crook of your elbow.

If you know people who are sick -- they have a fever or are coughing and/or sneezing -- don't get closer than six feet or so from them.

There is no need to buy any sort of face mask. The N-95 is what's used by health professionals who are treating sick people. And the Centers for Disease Control does not recommend these masks for the public. And the cotton-type surgical mask won't do much of anything in terms of protecting you should someone who coughs or sneezes near you. That's because it doesn't fit tightly to your face nor does it have small enough pores to prevent droplets from entering.

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Dealing with Blisters when Traveling

Blisters can ruin a hiking trip. That’s what almost happened to a friend of mine who tackled a 10+-day hike in northern Spain. He developed a very large blister on the sole of his foot. I ended up giving him blister tips via WhatsApp that allowed him to complete his trip with minimal discomfort.

Basically, once a blister forms and becomes quite large, it needs to be pierced, so that the fluid can drain. However, he was doing this with a sterilized needle, but it wasn’t working. I determined that the reason was that the gauge of the needle was too small to allow adequate drainage. And also that a callus formed over the blister as he repeatedly hiked on it day after day. (It was the body’s way of protecting the skin.) I suggested he find a pharmacy that sells manicure supplies, including a small cuticle clipper. Then, after adequately cleaning the skin with soap and water and also cleaning the clipper with alcohol, he could ever so gently make a nick in the side of the blister, which would allow the fluid to drain. He did this and it provided some relief but there was still pain -- from the overlying callus tissue. So I suggested that, again, after carefully cleaning the skin and the clipper, he gently attempt to debride the callus to reduce its thickness and size. After that, he would need to protect the area, either with a little foam donut or with a gel pad, such as Compeed, or with a dab of Aquafor. And this all worked!

My advice for blisters is to prevent them from getting getting so large. When I find a hot spot on my foot, I immediately apply Aquafor to reduce friction. And to prevent blisters in the first place, I wear Merino wool socks that wick away sweat and that have no seams nor do they bunch up. Two companies that I love are Smart Wool and Feetures.

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Necessary + Essential First-Aid Supplies

Injuries and illnesses can occur anywhere, whether at home, or traveling domestically or far afield. I carry a very complete first-aid kit with me when I'm traveling that duplicates many of the items I have readily available in my house. Whether you cut yourself in the kitchen when slicing carrots -- and, if you're on anti-clotting medication this would be especially problematic; or you're a woman who develops a vaginal infection while traveling in China, for example, where you might have difficulty easily finding a pharmacy who will understand what you need, especially if you're in a rural locale; or you're sitting beside a campfire making S'mores only to have the smoke irritate your eyes, the supplies (below) should provide relief. This list does not include the more typical items, such as gauze, adhesive bandages, a thermometer, and ACE-type elastic bandages, which are, of course, also important. Each of the supplies (below) are divided by symptom and body system to make it easier for you to determine what you need.

Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat, Teeth

• OcuFresh Eye Wash
  
• GenTeal, Blink Tears or other lubricating eye drops
  
• EarPlanes - for unclogging ears on the plane
  
• Saline nasal spray

Tummy Troubles

• Bonine - for motion sickness

• MiraLax - for constipation

• Pepto Bismol chewable tabs - for diarrhea and to prevent traveler's diarrhea

• Electrolyte replacement powder - for diarrhea

• Peppermint Tummy drops - for stomach upset
  

Bites, Stings, Rashes

• Benadryl cream - for itching

• IvyBlock - prevents poison ivy rash

• Calamine lotion -- for rash/itching

• Tecnu - poison ivy skin cleanser
  
• After Bite -- for itching after a "bug" bite

Cuts and Bruises

• Betadine or other antiseptic wipes

• Bacitracin topical antibiotic cream
  
• Blister kit with moleskin
  
• QuikClot - to stop bleeding fast
  
• Spenco 2nd Skin squares/pads - for a blister

Women's Needs

• Diflucan (single oral dose) - prescription

• Monistat vaginal cream

• Replens
  

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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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