How does coronavirus spread? Tips to help protect yourself from the virus

As the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, scientists areworking to discover more specifics about how it’s transmitted — and how best to stop it. But we do know some things.

The virus, first reported in China, has swept across Asia and is sparking outbreaks in Europe and the United States.

More than 156,000 cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 5,800 deaths as of March 15, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 2.950 confirmed cases with at least 60 deaths.

The World Health Organization has labeled the coronavirus outbreak a “very high” risk of spread and impact, but has so far stopped short of declaring it a global pandemic.

Here’s what you need to know about how coronavirus spreads.

How do people pass coronavirus to others?

Like many viruses, COVID-19 virus spreads chiefly by respiratory droplets, created when people sneeze, cough, talk or blow their noses, The Scientist reports.

Other people within 6 to 8 feet inhale the droplets, which contain the virus, spreading the infection, according to the publication.

People are thought to be the most contagious when they’re actually sick, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. But people may be able to spread the virus before showing symptoms — scientists just don’t know yet.

How quickly does the infection spread?

Infections around the globe are climbing toward 100,000 since the first people began coming down with the disease in December in Wuhan, China.

“While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity; that means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, Fox News reports.

“This virus is not SARS, it’s not MERS, and it’s not influenza; it is a unique virus with unique characteristics,” he added, according to the network.

But some nations have been able to fight back against the spread of the virus using quarantines and other measures, experts say.

“Here we have a disease for which we have no vaccine, no treatment, we don’t fully understand transmission, we don’t fully understand case mortality, but what we have been genuinely heartened by is that unlike influenza, where countries have fought back, where they’ve put in place strong measures, we’ve remarkably seen that the virus is suppressed,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program, CNBC reported.

How deadly is coronavirus?

The COVID-19 virus, which has killed more than 3,200 people worldwide, has a global mortality rate of 3.4 percent, Fox News reported. Most of the deaths are among older patients and those with preexisting health conditions, including respiratory ailments, health officials say.

The flu, which kills from 290,000 to 650,000 people worldwide each year, has a death rate of less than 1 percent, WHO reported.

But health experts say this coronavirus doesn’t seem to spread as easily or quickly as the flu virus, Fox News reported.

How long does the virus survive outside the body?

Studies show other coronaviruses can survive on surfaces for anywhere between two hours and nine days, Medical News Today reports. At colder temperatures, some stay viable for up to 28 days.

But it’s not yet known how long the new COVID-19 virus can survive outside the body, according to the publication.

Can the virus spread through food?

There’s no evidence suggesting that the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in food, the CDC says. But the agency still recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds before preparing or handling food.

While it’s not yet known how long this coronavirus can survive on surfaces, the CDC says the risk of catching it by touching food products that are shipped over a period of days or weeks, or refrigerated or frozen, is considered very low.

Can you catch coronavirus from touching your face?

It may be possible to catch the COVID-19 virus by touching an infected object or surface, then touching your mouth, nose, or possibly your eyes, the CDC says.

But scientists still aren’t certain, and it’s not thought to be the primary way transmission occurs, according to the agency.

The World Health Organization warns the virus also could spread via cash, The Telegraph reports. WHO advises people in regions with outbreaks to wash their hands after touching banknotes or use debit cards or online payments for the time being.

Should you wear a face mask?

Healthy people should not wear surgical masks, the CDC says, because surgical masks trap respiratory droplets inside meaning you’re more likely to catch coronavirus, not less, McClatchy News previously reported.

People with coronavirus, or other viruses, should wear surgical masks in public to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.

N95 respirator masks are effective at protecting people against contracting the virus, but only if used property, McClatchy News reports. Improperly worn also can increase the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Do disinfectants or hand sanitizers kill coronavirus?

Products with hydrogen peroxide, ethanol and sodium hypochlorite, an ingredient in bleach, are effective at deactivating coronaviruses, Medical News Today reports. Health experts say it’s important to let the sanitizer dry fully on your hands for it to be effective.

Amid shortages of disinfectants and hand sanitizers at stores, some people are turning to making their own, McClatchy News reported.

And the CDC recommends regularly washing your hands with soap and water as a good way to defend against the virus.Tip: Invest in some good hand lotion; the constant washing can dry out your hands.

Can dogs or cats spread coronavirus?

Scientists think the new COVID-19 virus first passed to humans from animals, possibly at a live animal market in Wuhan, China, but the virus now can’t be passed to humans by dogs or cats, ABC News reports.

But Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department says pets can test positive for low levels of coronavirus if they catch it from their owners, according to the outlet. A dog in quarantine in Hong Kong tested weakly positive for the virus in three separate tests.

What does ‘community spread’ mean?

The phrase “community spread” means the “spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown,” says the CDC.

The first U.S. coronavirus cases involved people who had visited infected regions in China and other countries and had contact with family members, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Then people who had not traveled outside the U.S. and had no known close contact with people carrying the virus contracted COVID-19, suggesting the virus had started spreading from person to person within the community, according to the publication.

“It’s the first signal that we could be having silent transmission in the community,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, according to the publication.

“It probably means there are many more cases out there, and it probably means this individual has infected others, and now it’s a race to try to find out who that person has infected,” Gostin said, the Los Angeles Times reported.

How can you help protect against coronavirus?

There’s no vaccine for coronavirus. Scientists are working on one, but we may be months away from mass production of an effective vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest you should:

• avoidclose contact with people who are sick;
• avoidtouching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
• stayhome when you are sick;
• coveryour cough or sneeze with a tissue;
• and cleanand disinfectfrequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

The CDC also advises washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 4:25 PM with the headline "How does coronavirus spread? Tips to help protect yourself from the virus."