Dr. Dave Price of Weill Cornell Medical Center explains the crisis in New York City. They are now using the center exclusively for COVID-19 patients. His job is deciding which of the infected patients get to be assigned to ventilators. Here are the highlights of his 50 min interview.
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• The virus seems to not affect kids under age of 14. Right now it’s virtually 0%. However, kids still can transmit the virus.
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• This virus does affect the young and healthy population, even those who’ve no pre-existing health condition.
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• ~80% of those infected have mild symptoms that don’t require hospitalization. These are: sore throat, fever, cough, and body aches.
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• Only those experiencing shortness of breath should go to the hospital.
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• Virtually 99% of the time, the virus is transmitted by contaminated hands touching the face. In most cases, it was by a family member who was exposed to someone with the virus (shook their hands, or were talking to them for an extended period before their symptoms developed).
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• Masks, even homemade bandanas, are for people to train themselves not to touch their face.
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• Wash your hands often and thoroughly. Carry sanitizer with you if possible and wash hands whenever possible. This virus is a wimp and only takes a little drop of sanitizer to kill it.
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• Don’t go to testing centers just to ease your mind. You may be taking the place of someone who is truly in need or short of breath.
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• Going for a walk or jog is fine, and don’t forget to smile at other people.
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• Ordering to-go food is safe too, just don’t interact with the delivery person, such as shaking their hands.
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• Receiving packages is not a problem either (thankfully).
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• If you develop symptoms, isolate yourself from your family, preferably within your own bathroom. Don’t interact with them until you feel better. And when you do, wear something over your face as a precaution to protect your family.
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• If you develop shortness of breath, go to the designated center/hospital. Don’t be nervous. Going to the hospital is not a death sentence. They might not put you on ventilators right away. They might wait a day or two when you are having hard time walking to the bathroom. Once on ventilators, it might be 5-7 days before you recover.
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• Social distancing might be required for a year. Also, we may experience a second wave. People might start relaxing when the curve starts to flatten, and that’s when we are most likely to have the second wave. After that life should improve.
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• When in public (grocery/pharmacy/etc.) keep your distance, especially if someone is coughing or sneezing. Wash your hands, and don’t touch your nose. Wear a homemade mask just as a precaution if you struggle with not touching your face.
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• Once you have had COVID-19, you have built your immunity. There is no second recurrence. It’s most likely a flaw in testing.
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• The bottom line: Wash hands often. Carry a sanitizer. Don’t touch your face. Wear a bandana at home just to practice not touching your face. And donate the medical mask to health workers in your community.
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• More questions are answered at the end of the interview here: https://vimeo.com/399733860?ref=em-v-share