Learn How to Protect Yourself from the COVID-19 Virus
The impact of corona virus has swept the globe over the past months, wreaking havoc and creating a global pandemic.
With so many coronavirus preventive measures out there, it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction on how to truly protect yourself against the coronavirus illness.
It is hard to protect yourself from something that you don’t know enough about. How does the virus behave? How long does it live on surfaces, and how to you keep your living area clean? Can you get it again?
Read on to learn what to prepare for and what precautions you can take to keep you and your household safe.
What Is a Time Stamp?
A time stamp is a digital record of when things occur. (1) For the coronavirus illness, it refers to a list of important things to be aware of for your ensured health and safety. Essential time stamps for COVID-19 include the following:
How long can the virus live on surfaces?
What is the incubation period of the virus?
How long is it active in the body?
Can you get it again?
Are you contagious after you recover from the virus?
COVID-19 is a new virus related to the Serious Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) discovered back in 2003. It infects the respiratory system causing fever, aches, pains, and other flu-like symptoms. (2)
The virus is spread by airborne droplets that get inhaled through the nasal passages. (2)
It was first identified in Wuhan, China back in December of 2019. By March 2020 the disease had reached 114 countries and killed many people, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a pandemic. (3)
What can you do to protect yourself and your family? Read on!
Basic Coronavirus Preventative Measures
Social Distancing
It’s best to stay home and leave your home only for essential activities. Avoid contact with groups of more than 10 people and keep at least six feet between you and another person when in public. To avoid coming in contact with those who are infected, only frequent large open spaces if at all possible. (4)
Boosting Your Immunity
For my top tips, check out my recent blog: Top 10 Ways to Boost Immunity.
Hand Washing
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends hand washing to avoid spreading the virus and getting sick. (9)
Using Soap
Soap is an effective combatant to the virus due to its chemical structure. The virus is nestled inside a two-layered row of tadpole-shaped molecules made of water, fat, and protein. They create a membrane that envelopes the virus keeping it protected. (10) Soap molecules have the same tadpole-like structure. (11, 12) Vigorous lather of soap creates a chemical reaction that dissolves the virus’ outer protective layer, deactivating the virus. (11)
Hand Sanitizer: the Pros and Cons
A 2005 study found that SARS-CoV alcohol-based hand sanitizers are good for corona prevention. (8) While preventing coronavirus is good, the unfortunate truth is that antibacterial substances, such as alcohol- and ethanol-based hand sanitizers, can be harmful to your skin’s microbiome.
Your immune health depends on a wide diversity of microorganisms living on your skin, and hand sanitizers and known for killing off some of this diversity. (13, 14, 15, 17, 18,19,20) Studies show that stopping the use of hand sanitizer on the skin can reverse this effect within about 1-7 days after discontinuing their use. (21)
And it just gets worse: most hand sanitizers also contain endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) including:
Parabens: These nasty compounds are known to alter reproductive and endocrine systems, disrupt the thyroid, and more. (22,23)
Phthalates: These chemicals can cause all kinds of hormonal issues, including lowering testosterone and sperm count in males, altering thyroid function, and inhibiting the reproductive system. (23, 24, 25)
Fragrances: Synthetic musk fragrance compounds have been found to produce similar effects of estrogen, causing many hormonal issues. (26).
Triclosan, benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol: These are also found in hand sanitizers and can cause hormone dysfunction. Animal studies indicate that triclosan suppresses thyroid function and increases estrogen production. (27)
Additionally, overuse of hand sanitizers can put you at risk for germs developing resistance to these products and creating superbugs. (28) Superbugs are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics. (29) Pathogens will no longer be susceptible to the effects of these drugs. (30)
One alternative to the chemical-laden sanitizers that I use personally is doTerra’s Onguard Sanitizing Spray. While using soap and water is always best, this is better than nothing, and is a much preferable option when compared with most hand sanitizers on the market.
How Long Does COVID-19 Live on Surfaces?
As we continue to fight viruses, it is critical that we know how long they are active on various surfaces so we can protect ourselves. We cannot effectively fight an enemy that we don’t understand.
Here is a compilation of data on the length of time coronavirus (and related viruses) remain active on various surfaces:
Steel: The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) lived on steel for up to 48 hours. MERS-TGEV and MVH strains were able to live for 28 days or more. (5)
Aluminum: Endemic human coronaviruses (HCoV) strain 229E lasted on aluminum for 5 days. 229E and OC43 lived for only 2 to 8 hours. (5)
Metal: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) strain P9 was disabled on metal after five days. (5)
Wood: SARS-CoV strain P9 lasted on wood for four days. (5)
Paper: Two strains of SARS-CoV showed a variation of how long it could live on paper. The GVU6 strain lasted only up to 24 hours but the P9 strain lived for four to five days. (5)
Glass: Glass is also susceptible to coronavirus. SARS-CoV strains had similar life spans on glass. Strain P9 for four days while strain 229E lived for five days. (5)
Plastic: Different strains of the SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and HCoV virus were analyzed on plastic. Strains of SARS-CoV lived between four and nine days. MERS-COV lived 2-6 days, while HCoV had a shorter span and lives for only 48 hours.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): This is a synthetic plastic that is found in shower curtains, window frames, plumbing parts, vinyl clothing (like jackets and raincoats) and more. (6, 7) SARS-CoV 229E lasted 5 days on PVC. (5)
Silicon rubber: The HCoV 229E was able to survive on silicon rubber for five days. (5)
Latex: HCoV strains 229E and OC43 last up to eight or more hours on latex gloves. (5)
Ceramic: HCoV 229E can live on ceramic for five days. (5)
Teflon: HCoV 229E can live on Teflon for five days. (5)
Armed with this data of the general activity span of the virus on various surfaces, our next question is…. how do we use this info to protect ourselves?
Is It Possible to Deactivate The Virus?
There is a lot of discussion about what will actually “kill” this virus. (Since viruses are not technically alive, we cannot “kill” them in the strict sense of the word.)
Fortunately, we have found some disinfectants that will do the job. Here is an outline of substances and amounts that have shown to disable the virus on surfaces within minutes: (5)
Solution of 62 to 71% ethanol
Solution of 0.5% hydrogen peroxide
Solution of between 0.1 and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite
Solution of 2% glutardialdehyde
Can the Coronavirus Get On Your Clothes?
One question that has been asked a lot lately is about how long it can live on fabrics. Can your clothes become “corona contagious”?
To date there is no solid research about the virus living on fabrics. So we have no definite answers as to whether or not the corona virus illness can be spread through our clothes.
There is a bit of research of bacteria on hospital fabrics that can potentially give some insight into the possible capabilities of COVID-19, but more research is needed.
During drying procedures, some organisms died within a few minutes during the drying procedures. Other bacteria survived for up to 90 days on clothing, towels, and drapes. (32)
Cotton, wool, silk and other fabrics with a high absorbency can trap bacteria in their fibers helping to prevent the spread of disease. (32)
It appears that the material, the humidity, and persistence of the virus can influence the lifespan of an organism on fabrics. (32)
Since we do not know the true risks it may be beneficial to wash your clothes after being somewhere where you could have come in contact with the virus.
If you are caring for someone with the COVID-19, the CDC recommends that you use gloves and wash their clothes separately in hot water. (33)
Corona Incubation Period
The corona incubation period has an average of 5.1 to 6.4 days. The shortest time was 2.1 days and the longest period was 14.7 days. (34)
Determined from the onset of symptoms in the first case back on December 1st, 2019 in Wuhan, China, it measured the time from exposure to onset of symptoms: fever, nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and occasionally cough. (34,35)
A majority of people (97.5%) who had symptoms developed them around day 11.5 to 12 days of infection. Only two percent saw symptoms within three to five days of exposure. Some were also asymptomatic or experienced only mild symptoms. (34)
More research is needed to find the true incubation period, however, it is recommended to wait a total of 14 days to see if symptoms develop. (34)
How Long Is the Coronavirus Active in the Body?
Disease confirmation: Data on the progression of the disease is limited to only reported hospital cases. These figures indicate three days is the average time from symptom onset to disease confirmation. (36)
Recovery time: For mild cases, recovery was about 14 days after the onset of symptoms. Those with severe and critical cases took three to six weeks to recover. (37) The recovery time may also depend on a person’s health and strength of their immune system.
Can You Get Covid-19 Again After Having It Once?
Viruses are known to change and evolve. The variations of the flu have been seen to infect the same host more than once. (38)
Can the same be said about the COVID-19 virus? Possibly. First, let us look at the various ways viruses can change.
The evolution of a virus is done in one of two ways
Mutation
Genetic recombination
A Mutation in 2019-nCoV
A mutation in 2019-nCoV is an alteration in the genetic material (genome) of a cell of a living organism or of a virus that is more or less permanent and that can be transmitted to the cells’ or the virus’s descendants. (39)
Genetic analysis showed the virus has 90 to 98 percent of the same DNA as the 2018 bat-derived SARS-CoV. It is speculated that the relative bat virus may have experienced a few mutations in late November making it possible to infiltrate human cells. (40,41)
Other researchers found mutations in the original bat coronavirus that made it able to be activated in humans. The virus spike surface of MERS-CoV was compared to a related bat coronavirus, HKU4. HKU4 could not penetrate a human cell until after a series of two mutations causing the bat to human transmission of MERS-Cov either directly or through intermediate hosts. (42)
Virus Change by Genetic Recombination
Genetic recombination is a rearrangement of DNA sequences by some combination of the breakage, rejoining, and copying of chromosomes or chromosome segments. It can result in new and more virulent strains of a virus that may have the ability to re-infect those who have had the disease. (41,43)
A new report showing the first evidence for genetic recombination has the following implications: (44)
Two different 2019-nCoV strains (here, hap_048 and hap_050) should have coinfected the same cell;
a 2019-nCoV strain might acquire new traits like virulence and drug susceptibility directly from other strains
The adaptability of 2019-nCoV to human immune system might be significantly strengthened through genetic recombination
The accuracy of diagnosis based on serologic and molecular biology assays might be compromised
The transmission tracking based on a phylogenetic tree could be misleading since the topology of the mutation route is a network rather than a tree
These mutations and recombination of genetic material can play a role in someone getting the virus again, though evidence is currently inconclusive.
Is Corona Contagious After You Recover?
Is corona contagious? This may be a question on your mind if you are someone currently suffering from the virus, or if you know someone.
There are very few studies on this topic, but evidence shows recovered COVID-19 patients could still be carriers. (45)
Four infected medical professionals were found to be still carrying DNA of the virus up to 13 days after being discharged. (46)
Quarantine is recommended for up to two weeks after recovery to ensure the contagious phase has passed.
Summary
There is still a lot we do not know about this virus. Fortunately, there are some essential time stamps of COVID-19 that can help prevent the spread of this virus on our skin and household surfaces. New research in how this virus interacts with our fabric should be put in place so we know how susceptible we are to the virus. We also need to learn more about what happens to the virus after someone has recovered.
If the genetics of this virus tell us anything, it is that there can be mutations and recombination can lead to new strains of the virus. Understanding how these strains affect the body is important to learn if those who already contracted the virus are susceptible to getting sick again.
While there is a lot we don’t know, there is also a lot we DO know about protecting ourselves and staying well.
Science-Backed Supplements for Safe Immune Support
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Grab my guide to arm yourself with the healthy facts!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.
Check out her easy 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here!