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Well what a difference 6 weeks makes!
Well what a difference 6 weeks makes. On January 22, 2020 I posted about some "new virus" to maybe keep an eye on. Who woulda thought?
I'm just watching the Oilers on TV and the the announcers just declared that the NBA announced that they have suspended the entire NBA season.
Obviously this is something we need to acknowledge and be mindful about.
Being mindful does not mean making random purchases in bulk which could actually put people in harm's way. Being mindful means understanding COVID-19 so you can make rational decisions.
Below are a few points that I learned on our update teleconference with the International Society of Travel Medicine.
1. The incubation time (the time between infection and symptoms) seems to be about 3 to 7 days but can be upto 14 days. 2. The virus seems to survive on hard surfaces for about 3 to 5 days on average but can be up to 9 days. 3. The virus is a droplet. It is not airborne. A safe zone from an infected person is considered to be about 2 meters. 4. So far the mortality is very low (less than 0.2%) for those under 40 years old (edit). As we age we are more susceptible. Most deaths have been those older than 80 and with other breathing conditions. Kids may actually present with very little symptoms. 5. Symptoms seem to be dry cough, malaise, fever and a low percentage of people also experienced diarrhea in the beginning. 6. Everything you learned in kindergarten still applies. WASH YOUR HANDS often and avoid touching your face. Cough and sneeze into your sleeve NOT INTO YOUR HANDS. Hand sanitizer can be used if you can find any. Soap and water is just as effective. 7. High touch hard surfaces such as door knobs, etc can be disinfected with either alcohol or bleach solutions. 8. As far as travel is concerned: - According to the speaker there have been no known cases of person to person transmission on an AIRCRAFT so far. - The overall health risks are relatively low BUT the situation affecting a trip or even large gathering is changing by the minute. Keep in touch with your travel adviser and airline. Many events and modes of travel could be affected.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This all could change after I post. Follow the below link from Alberta Health Services to stay up to date.