Dr. Oz on efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, tips to keep your family safe
Dr. Oz on efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, tips to keep yourself safe
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Mehmet Oz told “Fox & Friends” hosts Monday that the best way to prevent infection is quite simple.
“You can just wash your hands with regular old soap is just fine. Get the junk off your fingers or don’t touch your face with them,” Oz said.
“Only 5 percent of us actually wash our hands for the 15-20 seconds you need to wash your hands for in order for it to be effective, but that is the best way to immunize yourself against the virus,” the host of “The Dr. Oz Show" said.
He explained that paper surgical masks are ineffective since the virus particles can travel right through the material. However, Oz said the masks will at least stop a person from touching their mouth and spreading germs to themselves in that manner.
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK FUELS MEDICAL SUPPLY SHORTAGE IN CHINA, AS MORE THAN 37,500 INFECTED GLOBALLY
Dr. Oz said the coronavirus is much more infectious than seasonal flu.
"If you get it, you're gonna give it to 2.2 people statistically. ... Seasonal flu is 1.3. ... That magnitude of difference dramatically changes the equation, makes it harder to quarantine and allows it to spread within a cruise ship immediately," he said.
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On Monday, China’s health ministry said another 3,062 cases had been reported over the previous 24 hours, raising the Chinese mainland’s total to 40,171 (40,600 globally). The number of deaths grew by 97 to 908.
Almost all of the new fatalities were in and around Wuhan in central Hubei province, where illnesses from the new type of coronavirus were first detected in December.
In addition to the cases in mainland China, Hong Kong has had 29 cases, including one death, while Macao has had 10 cases.
While there has been debate on whether or not the coronavirus outbreak has been self-inflicted due to China’s “authoritarian government,” Oz said that “events like this ought to bring us together.”
Fox News’ Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.
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