At the press conference held by the National Health and Medical Commission and the 13th regular conference on epidemic prevention and control held in Hubei, many reporters raised questions about the pneumonia epidemic of new coronavirus infection:
How long can the virus survive?
Can pets transmit the virus to people?
How much distance is appropriate for people to keep?
Do I need to wear gloves when going out or taking the elevator?
What difficulties will fecal-oral transmission bring to the epidemic?
In response to these questions, the latest responses from experts are here↓↓
How long can the virus survive?
With the right temperature and humidity, the virus may survive for several days
Member of the expert group of the National Health Commission, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital:
This virus, it is spread through droplets and contact. The transmission distance of droplets is very limited, and they settle quickly after coming out of the human body, so they will not float in the air.
Droplets can settle on surfaces or contaminate surfaces we touch, such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, through virus-adhered hands.
Now research has found that the virus can survive for hours on these smooth surfaces. If the temperature and humidity are suitable, it may survive for several days. For example, in an environment with a temperature of 20 ° C and a humidity of 40% to 50%, some studies have found that the virus may survive for up to 5 days.
So, washing your hands is very important.
Is it contagious between pets and people?
No pets have been found to infect humans
Member of the expert group of the National Health Commission, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital:
At present, research shows that there are more than 50 kinds of coronaviruses and four genera, which can infect many animals, but there is a species barrier between them, and it is not random to infect each other. Only 7 kinds of coronaviruses can infect people. So far, no pet infection has been found. The virus is transmitted to humans, and no patient has been found to be infected, and it is transmitted to pets.
What difficulties does fecal-oral transmission bring to epidemic prevention and control?
No cases of fecal-oral transmission have been found so far
Member of the expert group of the National Health Commission, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital:
Although viral nucleic acid has been found in the feces of some patients, the virus has not been isolated yet, and further observations are needed. What we call fecal-oral means that feces contaminate water or food. People drink this water or eat food to cause transmission. This is called fecal-oral transmission. At this time, we have not seen any cases of transmission in this way.
Should I go to the hospital to isolate if I have symptoms?
self-assessment first
Member of the expert group of the National Health Commission, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital:
It is recommended that you do a self-assessment first, such as whether there are family members who have the same disease, and whether the symptoms are mild or severe. If the body temperature does not exceed 38°C and there is no difficulty in breathing, you can observe at home early, but it is best to isolate in a single room, keep a distance of more than one meter from your family, avoid infection, pay attention to hand hygiene, etc., and monitor your body temperature twice a day. Mild patients can be relieved in 7-10 days. If there is aggravation, you need to go to the hospital at any time. All localities should judge according to the situation of the epidemic situation. Judging from the current situation in Wuhan, it is recommended that people with cough and fever symptoms should be screened.
Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Treat Pneumonia Infected by Novel Coronavirus?
Integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine is a good way to treat pneumonia caused by new coronavirus infection
Chinese Academy of Engineering:
For moderate and mild patients with pneumonia caused by new coronavirus infection, it is easy to recover after Chinese medicine treatment, and the transformation of moderate patients to severe disease is significantly reduced; for severe and critically ill patients, it can stabilize blood oxygen saturation, improve breathing difficulties, and some It has a certain role in adjuvant therapy; for convalescent patients, although they are not infectious and can be discharged from the hospital, they should be treated with traditional Chinese medicine in the later period to avoid some sequelae. From these aspects, some advantages of traditional Chinese medicine are reflected, and it is a good way to adopt the method of integrating traditional Chinese and western medicine.
Do I need to wear gloves when going out or taking the elevator?
Gloves are required for direct contact with contaminants
High-level expert group of the National Health Commission:
I don't think it's necessary. I'm a doctor in the infectious disease department. I went to the ward to see a lot of infectious patients. I just washed my hands after the examination and rinsed with running water. You only need to wear gloves when you are in direct contact with pollutants. Generally, you do not need to wear gloves. As long as you wash your hands frequently, you can wash your hands first when you go home.
A picture tells you how to wash your hands properly↓
How much distance is appropriate for people to keep?
Keep a certain distance in public places
High-level expert group of the National Health Commission:
We originally wrote 1.5 meters. If the person on the other side is healthy, this problem should not exist. The main reason is to worry about people who do not know each other, and to maintain a certain distance to avoid the possibility of transmission. I hope that various places will check the people who come into contact with each other more strictly, so that the chances of face-to-face transmission will be greatly reduced. In the urban area of Wuhan, I think this distance is very necessary.
