With so much information floating around in the media and online about the coronavirus, it is easy to get overwhelmed and confused by a lot of it.
Not everything you read on social media regarding COVID-19 is true.
Don not be a component in spreading false information or other rumors to your friends and followers.
You may have seen a certain claim on social media regarding a quick self test to check if you have the coronavirus or not.
The claim states it comes from Stanford Hospital Board Members and that, while symptoms of COVID-19 may not show up for many days, you can do a self check by holding your breath for 10 seconds and seeing how you do.
Basically, by the time the fever and/or cough show up, your lungs are usually around 50% Fibrosis and it is already too late. If you can hold your breath for 10 seconds without pain/tightness/coughing, you do not have fibrosis in your lungs and likely do not have the virus causing COVID-19.
THIS IS FALSE.
. . . And it is not the only internet hoax going around online regarding COVID-19.
There are also tips like – take a few sips of water ever 15 minutes to wash the virus down your throat and into your stomach so it passes out of you . . . consume large amounts of garlic . . . swallow tablets that contain chlorine dioxide . . . etc.
PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE (AND SHARE) ANYTHING YOU READ ON SOCIAL MEDIA UNTIL YOU HAVE LOOKED IT UP ON REPUTABLE WEBSITES TO CHECK THE FACTS.
In addition to not spreading false reports — just because you see it on Facebook does NOT make it true — it is also important to be educated about the Coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
(Now this actually comes from Stanford medical professionals): Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
If you suspect you may be experiencing symptoms, STAY HOME and call your medical care provider or the hospital for more information.
The virus can spread person-to-person within 6 feet through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
It is also possible for the virus to remain on a surface or object, be transferred by touch and enter the body through the mouth, nose or eyes
Protect yourself and others in your community by remember the BIG FIVE:
1) Hands – Wash them often!
2) Elbow – Cough into it!
3) Face – Do not touch it!
4) Feet – Stay more than 3 feet apart!
5) Feel – Sick? Stay home!
Additional thoughts . . .
If you feel like the self imposed quarantine is overkill and insist on going out and being among big groups, look at it like this . . .
You may be under 40 and relatively healthy, so statistics show your risk of dying from contracting COVID-19 are almost zero. However, those same statistics also show that if you are, in fact, infected . . . you may not show any symptoms for up to two weeks, or maybe not at all.
During the time of being infected and not even realizing it, you risk spreading the illness to others who may be elderly, frail, or otherwise immunocompromised. This is not only a time to be taking care of ourselves, but also each other.
Going to the bars and hanging out in crowded locations just isn’t worth it right now.
With that in mind, how can we continue to support our local businesses who will undoubtedly be taking a hit in revenue while people practice social distancing?
We can help by ordering take out from our favorite local restaurants (and please tip like you would if you were eating in, or tip more if you’re able to do so — many servers rely on those tips as their main income), checking for online shopping availability from our favorite hometown shops to order items we’d normally go in for, and we can also support our local businesses by purchasing gift cards/certificates to be used at a later date.
You can keep up-to-date with the latest on COVID-19 by keeping tuned into Beaver 100.3, even when you’re not in your car. Tell your home speaker, like Alexa, to play Beaver 100.3, get us on the TuneIn app, or stream us on Beaver1003.com.
Don’t forget, you can get all the latest information and updates from health officials in one easy place from our website. Visit Beaver1003.com and check out the News tab for a link to all things regarding the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.
