The infectious disease doctor answered the most popular questions about the new disease.
The whole world is alarmed by the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. There is a lot of conflicting information around the new disease. We have collected the most common and popular questions that readers discuss on the website kp.ru and in social networks, and asked them to the infectious disease doctor and vaccinologist Evgeny Timakov.
Coronavirus is 10 times more dangerous than flu
Evgeny Yurievich, is it true that seasonal flu is more dangerous than coronavirus? Skeptics cite the following figures: in the United States alone, by mid-February, 29 million people fell ill with the flu, 16 thousand of them died. And only about 90 thousand people were infected with the coronavirus in the world, and just over 3 thousand died. Maybe we are raising panic in vain?
- Not. Let's look at it in order. First, it is true that every year a huge number of people get sick with the flu, while several thousand people die in each country. But the flu virus is a predictable infection, we know a lot about it, there are medications and vaccinations for influenza. A fatal case with influenza is when a person either has not been vaccinated, or has a late diagnosis, or has reduced immunity. And at the moment there is no leverage for coronavirus infection. It all depends on immunity: if there is one, a person carries a mild coronavirus. If there is no immunity and there are predisposing factors - age or a large amount of viral load, then there may be bad cases up to mortality. Second: the cause of alarm is the high mortality rate among those infected with the coronavirus, it is 3-5 percent. This is an order of magnitude higher than with the flu. Relatively speaking, there will be from 0 to 1 death per thousand people who get sick with the flu. And in the case of the coronavirus, from 30 to 50 people will die per 1000 cases.
Is it true that coronavirus is an ethnic virus, only representatives of the Mongoloid race are infected with it?
- No, not only they are sick, but there is a certain specificity: the virus has a so-called C-protein. In order for the virus to multiply, the C-protein must adhere only to certain cells of the body that have special receptors. These receptors are scattered throughout the cells of the respiratory tract: in the nasopharynx, throat, trachea, and lungs. All people have these receptors: some have more, some have less. If a person has few receptors, the coronavirus will proceed in a milder form. So in persons with Asian roots, these cells are much more and they are located in the lower part of the lungs. Therefore, atypical pneumonia occurs much more often. When there are many receptors, the virus sits down faster and occupies more niches where it can multiply. I must say that representatives of different nationalities have a predisposition to certain diseases:some have a vulnerable spot in the intestines, other nations suffer more from joints, and still others have a problem with oncology.
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Increased precautions in connection with the coronavirus are being taken around the world, especially at airports and on public transport.
Can Europeans Relax?
Does this mean that the Russians can relax, since the Europeans are not so susceptible to new misfortunes?
- We are a multinational country, we have many people from Asia - take Siberia, or Buryatia … In addition, apparently, southerners also fall into the risk group: we see how the coronavirus is actively spreading in Iran, Italy and other southern countries. And there are fatalities there too. The virus has no nationality. And then the country, which was under the Mongol-Tatar yoke for 300 years, should not expect too much that the geographical proximity to Europe will greatly help it. And most importantly, the susceptibility of an organism depends not only on genetics, there are other predisposing factors. If a person smokes, his lungs are already susceptible to viral infection, because local immunity is weakened. Bronchial asthma, old age also reduce the immunity of the broncho-pulmonary tree. No one is immune from the virus.
How long does the coronavirus live outside the body. For example on the surface of objects?
- It depends on the environment he got into. In direct sunlight, the virus generally dies quickly. Lives in wastewater for 2 days, in clean water up to 9 days. On surrounding objects without disinfection - for example, on plastic - it is viable for up to 2 days.
So, if I touch the contaminated surface in ordinary gloves, then take off my gloves and put them in my jacket pocket, then …
- In two days there will be no virus.
Laughter kills the virus
Is it true that medical masks are useless for healthy people? Should they be worn only by sick people, so that they fly less in all directions during coughing and sneezing?
- Yes, a healthy person can wear a mask in a tight space when there are a lot of people around to reduce viral load. Masks do not protect against the virus as such, they reduce the number of viral units that enter the body. Then it is easier for him to cope with the virus: the disease proceeds in a milder form or immunity will not allow the process to start at all. On the street, masks are generally useless.
Does it make sense to take immunomodulators so as not to catch the virus?
- No, their effect is not confirmed by evidence-based medicine. It makes sense to sleep more than 7 hours a day, lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well, temper and get active rest. I also recommend laughter. Because when a person laughs and smiles, endorphins are released, this stimulates immune factors and strengthens the body's internal defenses.
Experienced people advise to smear the nose with oxolinic ointment …
- Oksolinka, again, has nothing to do with evidence-based medicine, but any ointment itself has a barrier function. It does not save 100 percent from the virus, but it reduces the number of viruses that can attach to the nasal mucosa.
Why is there an epidemic in China but not in India?
How to explain that an epidemic is raging in China, and there is no coronavirus in neighboring India, although there is overcrowding and unsanitary conditions? From this circumstance, people conclude: maybe coronavirus is sick everywhere, just it is detected mainly where there is good medicine?
- The level of medicine partly plays a role. But do not forget that India belongs to tropical countries, there, unlike China, the temperature is completely different. If we look at the map of the spread of coronavirus infection, we will see that now the virus is multiplying mainly in those countries where there is a subtropical winter. That is, the air temperature is 15-20 degrees and high humidity. The geography of the coronavirus clearly runs along the subtropical zone: the USA, Italy, Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran … By the way, in the southern resort areas of China, where the heat reigns, the spread of the infectious process is not so pronounced. Let's take a look: when the subtropics pass from winter to summer mode and the temperature rises to 30-40 degrees, the epidemic should decline.
Passers-by in medical masks at a busy intersection in Tokyo.
Will spring help us?
- On the contrary! As soon as it gets warmer in Europe and Russia, favorable conditions will arise for the reproduction of the coronavirus. If by this time the infection is not blocked.
So we need to hold out until the summer?
- Yes, the virus does not survive in warm weather. It is important not to let the virus into the country until summer. In principle, the government and Rospotrebnadzor are doing whatever is necessary. Restriction of entry from the outbreaks of spread, quarantine measures, the correct organization of the work of medical services must do their job.
YAROSLAV KOROBATOV