Hi All
Please see below an e-mail I received from Owen Kyne regarding advice for
dealing with the CoronaVirus.
From: Owen Kyne <kyneowen1@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 08 March 2020 21:16
This is from a pal in the States...
Worth a read........
No joke....
Whilst there is an unprecedented level of coverage re Coronavirus, the
following very useful post from a doctor who worked on coronaviruses as a prof
of pathology at UC San Diego in the 70s contains some solid advice -
fore-warned is fore-armed .... read the whole thing!
Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology
at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular
virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first
to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept
up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the
human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.
The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to
continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread
in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These
are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except
for the mask and gloves.:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift
the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your
hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on
bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including
wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60%
alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that
involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND
in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects
when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your
elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious
virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using
the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with
contaminated areas.
Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This
means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these
droplets land are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is
associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially
infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your
unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell
receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the
virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected
cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from
touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without
knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is
lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from
getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your
nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the
appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based
and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be
effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in
your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you
begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and
let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze
lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT
I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this
snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it.
Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and
clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the
genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved.
BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or
limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.
I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially
catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of
us! Jim
James Robb, MD FCAP
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