Dear Reader,
Out of concern, my surgeon dad wrote to me and I wanted to pass his letter on to you. My thoughts are with you all during this difficult time.
Here is my dad's letter:
Watching TV and reading the New York Times today I was sad to see that many people are still confused about this pandemic and don't know the basic facts. Do you think a blog post might make some people smarten up and save themselves and those around them?
Watching TV and reading the New York Times today I was sad to see that many people are still confused about this pandemic and don't know the basic facts. Do you think a blog post might make some people smarten up and save themselves and those around them?
COVID-19 SIMPLY EXPLAINED BY A DOCTOR
INHALING the virus starts the infection.
EXHALING the virus passes it on to others.
ANYONE and EVERYONE can become infected.
- Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infects the lungs entering through the mouth and nose.
- Virus takes 10-14 days to incubate and grow in the lungs
- During that time the person seems normal but is breathing out an invisible cloud of virus up to 6 feet away.
- In some persons it is so mild they have almost no symptoms, but are still emitting virus.
- In some persons it causes cough, fever and painful breathing but passes in 2-4 weeks.
- In some persons the breathing gets more and more difficult and they need hospital treatment.
- In some persons the breathing gets so bad they start to suffocate and need a machine (ventilator) to breathe for them until they get better in 2-4 weeks.
- Some persons DIE.
Older persons and those with chronic illness have less resistance and get infected easier.
Persons living and working in close quarters like nursing homes, retirement homes, hospitals, factories, naval ships get infected and pass it around easier.
Unsuspecting infected persons touching their face get virus on their hands and then touch doorknobs, handrails, touchpads and shopping carts, then someone else touches those.
Virus sticks to those things for 2-10 days, unless they are wiped down with disinfectant.
Persons outside their own home should wear masks to not inhale virus from those around them.
Ideally EVERYONE should be TESTED so that infected persons and their contacts could be separated, observed and treated. Unfortunately so far not enough testing is yet available.
Persons living and working in close quarters like nursing homes, retirement homes, hospitals, factories, naval ships get infected and pass it around easier.
Unsuspecting infected persons touching their face get virus on their hands and then touch doorknobs, handrails, touchpads and shopping carts, then someone else touches those.
Virus sticks to those things for 2-10 days, unless they are wiped down with disinfectant.
Persons outside their own home should wear masks to not inhale virus from those around them.
Ideally EVERYONE should be TESTED so that infected persons and their contacts could be separated, observed and treated. Unfortunately so far not enough testing is yet available.
Until a VACCINE treatment is discovered:
STAY HOME as much as possible.
STAY 6 FEET OR MORE AWAY FROM OTHERS when going to work or out for groceries.
WEAR A MASK when going out.
DON'T TOUCH your face.
WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY.
As one health expert said,
"six feet away or six feet under!"
STAY ALIVE
