Although the coronavirus may be the new outbreak this year, a B.C. pharmacist says the best advice remains to just wash you hands.
91裸聊视频淭he most effective way of preventing transmission is hand washing with soap and water,91裸聊视频� said Gianni Del Negro, a pharmacist at London Drugs91裸聊视频� Dunbar store in Vancouver.
Del Negro said the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed at least 170 people and infected more than 7,800 in China as of Thursday afternoon, has sent people running to pharmacies to buy masks 91裸聊视频� even though they don91裸聊视频檛 work.
91裸聊视频淭he typical surgical mask91裸聊视频� they really are not going to protect people from getting a viral infection,91裸聊视频� Del Negro told Black Press Media.
But, Del Negro said, not only are the masks unnecessary, buying them up can have harmful effects for those who do need them.
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The only masks that are effective in stopping the spread of coronavirus are called N95 masks, a type of heavy-duty mask used in hospitals and higher-risk situations.
91裸聊视频淧eople who are immunocompromised, those who are going through chemotherapy and right now they can91裸聊视频檛 get access to them,91裸聊视频� Del Negro said.
91裸聊视频淲e shouldn91裸聊视频檛 be panicking and wiping out all the stock that91裸聊视频檚 out there. We have nothing in-store.91裸聊视频�
But aside from the less-than-helpful masks, Del Negro said there91裸聊视频檚 lots of things people can do.
While washing with soap and water is idea, he said hand sanitizer is the next best thing.
Aside from that, Del Negro said it can help to sanitize household surfaces and door knobs with Lysol or similar cleaners, and to avoid touching your face after touching the not-so-clean surfaces on transit or in other public areas.
Del Negro said much of the panic surrounding the new virus is due to memories of SARS, which killed 44 people in Canada during the 2003 outbreak.
91裸聊视频淚t was a very scary time,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淏ut at the present time, the risk is very low.91裸聊视频�
There are currently three confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Canada. They include a husband and wife in Toronto and a man in the Vancouver area, all three of whom started showing symptoms after returning from Wuhan, the outbreak91裸聊视频檚 epicentre. American authorities said they saw their first case of human-to-human transmission this week and the World Health Organization declared it a global emergency Thursday.
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However, the Canadian cases, Del Negro said, are very isolated and haven91裸聊视频檛 led to any further infection.
The newness of this coronavirus, he said, is part of the reason it has people scared more than a disease like the flu, which kills 3,500 Canadians each year.
Although Del Negro didn91裸聊视频檛 want to play down the potential harms, he did note it91裸聊视频檚 only this strain of the coronavirus, passed from animal to humans, that91裸聊视频檚 new. Coronavirus encompasses a large group of viruses, which can cause everything from the common cold, to SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
Anyone who does think they91裸聊视频檙e infected should stay isolated, make sure to cough into the crook of their elbow instead of their hand, and visit a healthcare professional.
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