Answers to common questions about coronavirus

We are receiving a lot of questions about the coronavirus, and I am trying to get to as many as possible.

Here are quick answers to some of the more common questions:

Is anti-bacterial soap necessary?

No. Any soap can eliminate and remove the virus.

Can coronavirus spread by getting in your eyes?

Yes. It can infect areas of your body known as mucosal surfaces. Thinks of those as the moist, pink areas of the eyes, nose, mouth and throat.

Can you get the coronavirus through a cut or eczema?

Nope. The receptors or attachment points that the virus needs to infect you are primarily on the mucosal surfaces.

Is intimacy safe for couples?

Yes, but that is assuming both of you are healthy and there is no reason one partner may want to avoid getting the virus from the other. Intimate contact can transmit the virus, but if the couple already is sharing a space, don’t worry about intimacy specifically.

Will a shot of alcohol prevent COVID-19?

Nope, but don’t we wish. Incidentally, there is no gargle, beverage or rinse that will prevent you from getting infected once it has invaded the mucosal of your respiratory tract.

When we stop quarantining and emerge, won’t we just be infected later?

Right now, you are helping take a load off of the health care system by staying inside your home and avoiding contact with others. You could be infected later when you emerge from your home, true, but by then we may have more information on treatments and possibly a vaccine.

Related: Doing your part to flatten the curve, slow spread of COVID-19

Even when the stay home orders are lifted, people are still going to have to maintain social distancing and hygiene habits so we don’t have a second wave.

More coronavirus questions answered

Here’s a list of questions about the virus that we’ve already answered:


About the Author:

Dr. McGeorge can be seen on Local 4 News helping Metro Detroiters with health concerns when he isn't helping save lives in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital.