COVID-19: How it Spreads

Coronavirus has completely flipped the world upside down. The days of going out without masks or worries of coming into contact with coronavirus are gone until a vaccine is developed. Despite the suggestions to stay at home as much as possible, many of us still need to leave to grocery shop or visit a doctor. There are a few ways coronavirus can spread, but there are also ways to combat this spread. 

How COVID-19 Commonly Spreads 

Current evidence shows that COVID-19 spreads between us through direct, indirect, and/or close contact with a person who is infected through mouth and nose secretions. These secretions include saliva, secretion droplets, and respiratory secretions. Secretions are released from the mouth and/or nose of an infected person when they cough, sneeze, or speak. If you are in close contact with someone who is infected, you can catch COVID-19 when droplets enter your nose, eyes, or mouth. 

How Long Does COVID-19 Survive On Surfaces? 

According to the U.S National Institute of Health (NIH), researchers have discovered that the virus that causes coronavirus can live up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to three days on stainless steel and/or plastic surfaces. What does this mean? You should be extremely diligent in washing your hands after being out in public. Additionally, if you or someone in your home has COVID-19, you should wash and disinfect household surfaces frequently. 

There is a possibility that coronavirus can remain on fruits and vegetables that have been handled by an infected person. While it isn’t known if this contact could make you sick, it is better to be safe than sorry. Scrub any produce that you buy under water before eating them. 

How COVID-19 Doesn’t Spread & How to Protect Yourself

Rumors will occur under many circumstances. Many rumors have flown around about how coronavirus spreads. There is no evidence that coronavirus spreads through: 

• Swimming pools
• Hot Tubs
• Mosquitoes
• Ticks 
• Drinking water
• Food containers
• Packages

The best thing you can do to avoid coronavirus is to wash your hands. You should wash your hands throughout the day, especially if you have been outside of your home. When washing your hands, use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. If you have no access to water and soap, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Wearing gloves in public can help reduce your contact with coronavirus, but it can also prove to be ineffective. If you are touching your face, phone, money, or cards with gloved hands, you will be spreading anything you came into contact with onto them. Some people prefer to wear one glove, leaving a bare hand to touch personal objects. 

COVID-19 Testing in the Bay Area 

If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms such as a fever, cough, fatigue, difficulty breathing, sore throat, diarrhea, body aches, or a loss of taste and hearing, you may want to look into COVID-19 Testing. BASS Urgent Care offers COVID-19 testing with little to no wait. After a Telehealth consultation, we will schedule a time for you to come by for whichever test we deem is appropriate. You can test from your personal vehicle or enter our low-risk facility. You will receive your test results within 48-72 hours. To book an appointment, call us at (925) 329-3718 or visit us online.