NEWS

Your NoD editorial team searched the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) sites to try to compile some Facts vs. Myths about COVID-19.

Fact 1: Diseases can make anyone sick regardless of their race or ethnicity.

• Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 can cause people to avoid or reject others even though they are not at risk for spreading the virus.

 

Fact 2: For most people, the immediate risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low.

• Older adults and people of any age with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, or heart disease, are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

 

Fact 3: Someone who has completed quarantine or has been released from isolation does not pose a risk of infection to other people.

• For up-to-date information, visit CDC’s coronavirus disease situation summary page.

 

Fact 4: There are simple things you can do to help keep yourself and others healthy.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

 

Fact 5: You can help stop COVID-19 by knowing the signs and symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Seek medical advice if you

• Develop symptoms

AND

• Have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.

 

Myths & Facts from Johns Hopkins

MYTH: I Need a Mask

Yes. The CDC and WHO have adjusted their guidance, and now recommend the use of facemasks for the general public in an effort to limit the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Instead:

Avoid close contact with sick people.

Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that may have germs.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

 

FACT: You Can Make a Difference

• Simple tasks like hand-washing, getting a flu shot, and staying home when you are sick can make a huge difference.
• Don’t return to class or work until you have been fever-free without fever-reducing medication for 24-hours.
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue and then wash your hands.
• Call your health care provider if you are having flu-like symptoms for a professional consultation.

 

NOTE: Some anxiety is natural during a new public health event, especially when there are many unknowns. Taking care of each other becomes just as important as taking care of ourselves. Do not make assumptions about others based on perceived symptoms or racial and ethnic characteristics. Your care, compassion, and empathy for each other makes a difference.

 FACT: Misinformation Can Spread Like a Virus

Check your references and your assumptions. Look to CDC guidance and other reputable online resources. Question whether your concerns are rooted in facts, myths, or personal ideologies.