KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many people around the world are beginning to worry about the rapid spread of COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus.
Although people understand the virus is spreading quickly, with more than 82,000 cases confirmed worldwide through Thursday, Feb. 27, many don't know how that happens or how to prevent it.
41 Action News reached out to viewers to see what questions they have about COVID-19, which are answered below.
If you have any additional questions, submit them below:
What's the best way to clean money you might have to handle?
COVID-19 could be spread by the handling of money, but the best course of action is to stick to contactless payment or to wash your hands after handling money. Coins can be sterilized with standard disinfectants like other hard surfaces. Cleaning cash requires professional ultraviolet or heat treatments.
What is the best way to clean your mobile phone glass without scratching the face?
Microfiber cloths, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and a mix of rubbing alcohol and water are all good options.
Should people cancel any well check appointments? That is, if you are not sick, but are scheduled for a check up, should you cancel and stay away from hospitals and doctor's offices?
At this time hospitals and doctor's offices are not advising healthy people to stay away. It is still best practice to be at least three feet away from anyone coughing or sneezing and to wash your hands regularly.
Can you get better from it just as you heal from cold and flu?
Yes. The majority of infected people have recovered from COVID-19 but at different rates depending on the severity of their symptoms. Much like the cold in flu, the best route is to treat the symptoms since there is no treatment for the virus itself. Around 80 percent of people recover without needing any treatment.
Where can you get tested for COVID-19?
The CDC, hospitals and local health departments are all equipped with test kits. You only need to get tested if you believe you have contracted the virus.
How come nothing has been said about our military stationed abroad in countries that have positive results for coronavirus?
So far, the only U.S. servicemember abroad to be infected with COVID-19 is located in South Korea and is in isolation in their home.
I am a cancer survivor with a compromised immune system. Aside from washing hands, what can we do since we are being told masks won’t work to fully protect us from COVID-19?
The best thing to do outside of washing hands regularly is to avoid contact with other people and public surfaces. The WHO advises staying at least three feet away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
I saw on the news that KU has recalled its students studying overseas in Italy. Isn't having them return via air to Kansas City putting people on the plane and in Kansas City risky and put local lives at risk for the infection?
It could be risky if the person flying does have COVID-19. It is spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. However, airlines and other transit systems are taking extra precautions to keep travelers from getting sick.
How does a doctor test for and accurately diagnose COVID-19?
Coronavirus tests are conducted by collecting a specimen from the respiratory system of the potentially infected person, this usually means a swab from the nose or throat. A laboratory then tests the gene makeup of any virus present in the specimen.
Have children died from this virus? Are the countries South of the equator experiencing this virus?
Based on information from Chinese health authorities, the risk of death from coronoavirus greatly increases with age. As of Feb. 17, there have been no deaths reported in children age 9 or younger and the death rate remains below 1% for all people under the age of 50.
According to the World Health Organization, there is only one known case in South America, a Brazilian man who had recently traveled to Italy. There are also 23 confirmed cases in Australia.
Have people recovered from the virus and been released from quarantine? If so, why haven’t they been interviewed on TV?
The mortality rate for coronavirus infection remained 3.4%, according to the World Health Organization as of 10 a.m. on Thursday, but almost all cases — 95.5% of all confirmed cases and nearly 98% of all deaths — have been in China. It's entirely possible interviews with survivors exist in China.
But within the U.S., there are very few cases and HIPAA rules prevent the government from disclosing their names, so interviewing someone isn't always possible. Locally, there have been no confirmed cases, so there's no one to interview.
Can the virus be spread through receiving packages or clothing from China?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronaviruses historically are transferred through shipped materials or clothings. Past outbreaks of a coronavirus, demonstrated that the virus has "poor survivability ... on surfaces." That means "there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures." There is no current evidence of coronavirus transmission with imported goods, according to the CDC.
Have people with coronavirus survived the outbreak? All we hear about is the people who have died.
According to the latest coronavirus update from the World Health Organization on March 3, the virus currently has a 3.4 percent mortality rate, which means more than 96% of those with a confirmed infection remain alive.
Should we stock up on our child’s asthma medicine?
It's unclear how patients with asthma are impacted by the coronavirus. One early study showed no increased susceptibility for patients with breathing conditions, however the World Health Organization continues to warn the elderly and people with preexisting conditions — including asthma, but also diabetes and heart disease — to be on high alert as they may be "more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus."
If you are worried about how coronavirus might affect a loved one with a lung condition, speak with a physician and follow recommendations of medical personnel for best practices to avoid becoming infected, including whether it would be appropriate to have extra inhalers or other medication on hand.
How is coronavirus spread?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus is spread through person-to-person contact. Influenza is spread in the same way. Contracting the virus is possible through close contact with an infected person, being near a contagious person who coughs or sneezes or by touching a service an infected person has contaminated and then putting your hands near your face.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Symptoms of the virus include fever, cough and shortness of breath. These can be mild or extreme, and someone who is infected may not show symptoms for two to 14 days. Those infected might not have any symptoms at all.
How long does coronavirus last?
That's a tricky one. Because there is no known treatment for the virus, there's no exact timeline placed on how long the illness lasts. For now, health care professionals are advised to treat the symptoms that come along with the virus to help the body fight back. Since each person is affected by the symptoms differently, it's hard to nail that time period down.
Are masks an effective form of prevention?
Both the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend those showing symptoms wear a mask to prevent spread of the virus through a cough or sneeze, but those who are healthy do not need to wear a mask at this time. Only those who are in close contact with someone who is confirmed to have the virus should wear a mask, and they should know how to properly use one.
Frequent hand washing and avoiding potentially infected surfaces is the best way to avoid contracting the virus at this time.
Can you put the known statistics for the coronavirus right next to the statistics for influenza?
Not yet. Not enough data has been collected on COVID-19 to accurately compare it to influenza.
Will Clorox and Lysol wipes/cleaners disinfect for this? For example, on airplanes, grocery carts and at home?
Yes. The CDC suggests using household cleaning sprays or wipes to disinfect commonly touched surfaces. However, like with any other illness, this does not guarantee 100% removal of the virus from the surface.
Where does the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus rank versus other deaths caused by common viral illnesses?
Once again, it's too soon to tell. While there are years of data collected on viral illnesses like influenza or SARS, COVID-19 has never been seen in humans until now.
How are people dying from coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. In the most severe cases, it can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is not unique to the coronavirus. The lungs can become extremely damaged, making it difficult to breathe.
Around 80 percent of cases thus far are mild and have not had these complications.
Has anyone died in the U.S. from the coronavirus?
Yes. The CDC is tracking all known U.S. cases of the coronavirus, and several have turned fatal as the virus spreads.
Why is CDC being non-responsive to specific questions, such as how many test kits are available in U.S., and how many are currently being monitored in U.S.?
Test kits are only available through the CDC at this time. The CDC keeps an updated page of how many people are being monitored in the U.S.
Should I plan a trip to Europe for fall 2020, or should I hold off?
Anyone planning to travel outside of the country should keep an eye on where the virus is spreading and where the U.S. Government is advising to avoid travel. While coronavirus has been confirmed in many countries, it is only an active threat in a few. At this time, it is okay to travel to most of Europe.
Can you get it more than once?
This is the first time this coronavirus has been found in humans. It is unknown if it will behave like other coronaviruses.
How long can the virus live on an object?
Researchers are still figuring that out. The WHO believes it could be anywhere from a few hours to several days.
Will this virus impact going to church, events, work or school?
Not at this time. The chances of contracting COVID-19 in the U.S. is extremely low.
Are most people dying from the coronavirus elderly?
Not necessarily. Older people do have a higher risk of contracting a more severe version of the illness, as do those with preexisting medical conditions.
Are we looking at a pandemic with coronavirus at this point in time?
The CDC believes coronavirus will eventually reach pandemic status.
How do you know the difference between regular influenza and coronavirus?
A test would be required to decide which virus a person has. The two have very similar symptoms.
Are children and infants more likely to contract the virus?
No. The person-to-person spread of the virus can affect anyone. However, most cases of coronavirus in China — where it is most prevalent — have been reported in adults.
How long are potentially infected people being monitored?
The CDC belives the incubation period for the virus is between two and 14 days, so a person would be monitored for two weeks to see if they show symptoms or test positive for the virus.
Is it safe to receive packages from infected regions of the world?
Yes. The WHO says the likelihood of commercial goods being contaminated is low, and even then the package would have to travel great distances and through various temperatures that would otherwise destroy the virus.
How many people in Kansas City are being monitored for coronavirus?
One person in Johnson County has been confirmed to have COVID-19.
Is coronavirus "seasonal" like we tend to think the flu is? As the weather warms will we see a drastic decrease in the virus or even it going away completely?
Whether or not coronavirus cases will subside alongside flu cases in the spring is still unknown. Because it is a new virus, it's not clear yet how long it will last or what conditions will affect its transmission.
Why is it named coronavirus?
There are dozens of coronaviruses, but only a few affect humans. This strain has been officially named COVID-19 and is being called a novel coronavirus because it is the new and unclassified coronavirus. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are other coronaviruses that affect humans.
What's the best brand of hand soap to use to prevent spread of the virus?
No specific soap is any more effective against viruses than another. Soap will not kill bacteria or viruses, but will usually do a decent job removing them. Hand washing prevents the spread of viruses from surfaces to your facial area.
Where did the virus originate from?
This new strain of coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Health officials suspect the virus was transmitted from animals to humans, potentially through the exotic meat markets of China.
It has been said that it's not if, but when, the virus will spread in the U.S. and that people should prepare for that time, but how?
The best way to prepare for potential U.S. spread of coronavirus is to seek medical care if you experience symptoms, avoid contact with infected persons, do not rtavel while sick, cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing and sneezing, and wash hands frequently.
What is self-quarantining?
Those who do not actively have COVID-19 but may be at risk to developing it due to recent travel have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. This means they stay in their homes and do not leave for the two week period to make sure they do not develop any symptoms.
