Maj. Aaron Farmer, Chief of Infectious Disease at Womack Army Medical Center, explains the basics of the novel coronavirus strain COVID-19, from transmission to proximity risk assessment, as well as preventive measures to keep the virus from spreading.
Transcript
My name is Maj. Aaron Farmer, Chief of Infectious Disease at Womack Army Medical Center. I’m here to talk to you today about Coronavirus. There’s a lot of information going around about Coronavirus and it’s easy to get lost in the moment. But before making any big decisions, you’ll want to stick around for the next few minutes. The Coronavirus itself has been around for awhile, but the one making headlines is a novel, or new, strain. The disease the virus causes has been aptly named Coronavirus 2019. So how do you get it? As this is a new disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still learning how it is spread. Currently, it’s thought to be transmitted through respiratory droplets like those produced from a cough or a sneeze. It can also be spread by touching a contaminated surface or object and then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes. While the ease at which the virus spreads from person to person can vary, the CDC believes COVID-19 to be as contagious as the flu or the common cold. However, taking preventive measures can drastically lower the risk of infections. How so? Well, let’s say you’re on an aircraft. The passenger in the red seat is carrying the disease. According to the CDC, you can be within six feet of this person and only be at a medium risk of infection. This distance is considered close contact. If you’re seated a bit further away or in an enclosed environment, such as a classroom or hospital waiting room, you’re considered to be at low risk. Outside of this area you’re at no identifiable risk. This includes walking by, or even being briefly in the same room as a person with laboratory confirmed infection. So, what’s high risk? The CDC defines this as living in the same household as, being an intimate partner of, or providing care in a non-health care setting, such as a home, for a person with symptomatic laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infection without using recommended precautions for home care and isolation. Following those precautions will put you back in the medium risk category, but you should absolutely consult with health care providers or visit the CDC website before making that decision. While the best prevention is to avoid exposure to the virus altogether, there are a few simple measures you can take to contain its spread. This includes covering a cough or sneeze with your elbow, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces, avoiding contacting between your hands, and eyes, nose, and mouth, and of course, washing your hands often for at least 20 seconds at a time, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Stayed tuned for more information from Womack Army Medical Center and the Fort Bragg Department of Public Health.