PANDEMIC FAQ AND MYTHS DEBUNKED By Satanic Temple Healthcare Professionals and Scientists
What are the symptoms? How do I know if I have COVID19, flu, or a regular cold? SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. The most often reported symptoms are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Other symptoms may be aches and pains, congestion, sore throat, or diarrhea. Most people show symptoms within two weeks of infection but could also be carrying the virus without being symptomatic. Symptoms of flu and COVID19 can overlap, but shortness of breath seems to be more common in COVID than in flu. Just because it isn't COVID, doesn't mean it's not important! For more information about symptoms, visit this link.
Who is high risk? Older people who are immunocompromised or who have other medical conditions (high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, etc.) are more likely to develop severe illness. Individuals of all ages can be infected and may develop severe disease. We learn more about this disease every day. Remember, "immunocompromised" is a term that means having an impaired immune system and can be applied to many people, not just individuals with cancer and HIV. Some studies suggest that individuals receiving HRT are immunosuppressed. When in doubt, talk to a doctor about your risk status.
Do pneumonia or flu vaccines protect against this disease? No. The pneumococcal vaccine protects against a bacterial infection that is very different from the virus causing this disease. Flu vaccines are also not protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although they are both viruses, Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are very different viruses and they interact with the body in different ways. There is no scientific evidence to support cross-protection.
Why isn't there a vaccine or treatment yet? This is a brand-new virus and it takes scientists time to learn how the virus enters your body's cells and how to protect you from this. Vaccines and treatments are being tested in a lab but can take years before they are available to the general public due to intense safety and efficacy testing. This can seem frustrating in times of an emergency of this volume, but these steps are necessary to protect you and the public from harm. For a fun discussion about this, check out this podcast.
Is COVID-19 a hoax or just a really bad cold? No. If you or your loved ones haven't gotten sick, that means public health measures, such as social distancing, are working. How does social distancing help? Social distancing reduces the number of people that are exposed to the virus over time. This helps our hospitals respond to the outbreak. If we continued life as normal, the number of sick people would significantly exceed the number of people a hospital can treat at one time and our death rates would increase dramatically. Even if your local jurisdiction is not under a shelter in place or similar order, do your best to avoid large social gatherings. Remember, healthy people can still carry the virus and transmit it without knowing.
What's the deal with masks? There's been a lot of changing information about masks during the outbreak. It's important to understand that as we learn more about the virus and its disease, guidance will improve rapidly. This is not due to incompetence, but increased learning. There are many types of masks to consider, but we can broadly divide them by cloth mask, surgical mask, or N95. A cloth mask is a homemade mask made of fabric. These masks provide minimal filtration of the air around you, but hold in some of the droplets when you cough or sneeze. Surgical masks are manufactured for healthcare workers. They, too, provide limited protection from environmental air, but do a great job at preventing the spread of droplets from sick people. If you are sick, you should wear a cloth mask or a surgical mask to help protect your family members. N95s are masks that are made for healthcare professionals to filter the air the wearer breathes and exhales. These masks will protect healthcare workers and researchers from infection, and there is a shortage of them. If you stocked up on them during your preparations, please, donate these to your local healthcare facilities. The use of these masks requires a fit-test to ensure optimum filtration. Originally, professionals suggested that masks were unnecessary for the general public. They now recommend that the general public wear a cloth mask when in public places. Again, these masks do not protect you from infection, but protect others around you from the droplets you exhale/cough/sneeze if you are potentially infected. People who are infected and do not show any symptoms can still transmit the virus to others. Anyone, including healthy individuals, could be an asymptomatic carrier. This is why masks are now recommended for everyone in public places.
COMMON MYTHS
Myth: Pets can get and spread SARS-CoV-2. There is no scientific evidence to support this. Although there have been a handful of reports throughout the world of pets such as cats and dogs testing positive, it is highly unlikely that a pet can replicate the virus to levels that would allow them to infect humans. One viral article indicates that a dog died after testing positive but fails to tell you is that the dog died of old age after testing negative upon follow up. Current studies suggest that cats might become infected and spread it to each other, but we still have very little information.
Myth: The virus is airborne. Aerosol does not mean airborne! Although some studies show that under optimal conditions viable virus is found up to 3 hours in aerosol droplets (potentially due to coughing), this does not make a virus airborne. The droplets are too heavy to remain in the air. The virus cannot travel through the duct system of your home. Maintaining social distancing and practicing good hygiene in a household with an infected individual can lower your risk of infection.
Myth: A stay-at-home order or shelter in place is a lockdown that will lead to martial law. A stay at home order and shelter in place is very similar, but they are not lockdown orders. There are no plans to implement martial law, but do your neighbors a favor and stay home as much as possible. Please, avoid panic buying! Visit FEMA for more information about rumor control and fact-checking during the pandemic.
Myth: Taking hydroxychloroquine can cure COVID-19. A statement by the US President (who has no medical or scientific credentials) indicates that taking the drug hydroxychloroquine is a "miracle cure." Current scientific evidence does not support this, and a clinical trial has only just begun. Previous ideas indicated this might be a treatment for influenza, but clinical testing provided no such evidence. There is no current cure or vaccine for COVID-19. If you suspect you are infected and are exhibiting symptoms, seek medical attention and only take medications suggested by a doctor.
Please, fact check information before spreading articles on social media and to loved ones.
Reliable sources include: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public For updates on case estimates worldwide: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/ | 
