With the ongoing online and television coverage of COVID-19, it can be hard to distinguish authoritative information from rumors, unsubstantiated statements, and sheer panic brought on by the excesses of mass media. In such a situation, the public particularly looks to nurses and physicians for guidance and education, but where can healthcare providers go to obtain the most current and accurate facts?
Public health specialist and epidemiologist Dr. Sandro Galea urges providers to consult the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) website for authoritative recommendations and updates and suggests beginning with the community health section. Also useful is the CDC page directed at healthcare professionals.
Below are five main points about COVID-19 based on information from the CDC and other public health experts, updated to reflect the latest known facts.
How severe is the virus, on average?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 80% of all cases of COVID-19 display mild to moderate symptoms. In the majority of COVID-19 cases, patients who are not asymptomatic tend to experience little more than cold/flu symptoms such as cough, fever, and a runny nose. Also, while WHO’s figures place the current mortality rate at around 3.4% (for the sake of comparison, the 2002-3 SARS epidemic had a death rate of more than 10%), this refers only to the rate among reported cases. Experts argue that the fatality rate is probably in fact lower than the current WHO figure, as many of those infected by the virus are unlikely to have even visited a doctor.
In 14% of cases so far, symptoms have been more severe and dangerous. These instances are often accompanied by pneumonia. The highest-risk group includes the elderly and people who are already in poor health. However, for patients outside these groups, health officials speaking to the Washington Postrecommend “stay[ing] home if your symptoms can be handled with over-the-counter cold and flu aids from your local drugstore.” The Post also notes, “If everyone with a cold floods their local emergency rooms, it will be harder for health-care workers to treat patients who are critically ill.”
How is COVID-19 transmitted?
The CDC says that according to current data, “spread is thought to occur mostly from person-to-person… among close contacts.” Close contact is regarded as being within about 6 feet of an infected person for a prolonged period, with particular risk attached to direct contact with respiratory droplets, sputum, serum, and blood. If you’re wondering what to do if exposed to a patient with COVID-19, check these guidelines on risk assessment and potential exposure. The CDC states that it can take anywhere from 2-14 days after exposure for signs of the illness to appear, hence the widespread imposition of a 14-day quarantine period.
What precautions should healthcare providers take when treating COVID-19 patients?
Dr. Galea responds that “Health care workers providing care for patients with confirmed COVID-19 or under investigation for coronavirus should use Standard Precautions, Contact Precautions, Airborne Precautions, and use eye protection.” You can also visit the CDC FAQ on Personal Protective Equipment for detailed recommendations regarding gowns, gloves, and respirators.
Who should get tested?
Dr. Galea tells DailyNurse that “It is appropriate to get tested if indicated by a clinician, due to a combination of exposure to an area where the outbreak is known to be present and exposure to someone with coronavirus or suggestive symptoms.” In a recent policy change, the CDC announced that anyone can get tested, provided they receive a doctor’s approval. They suggest that clinician judgment calls on testing should be based on “signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19,” local epidemiology, and whether patients “have had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient within 14 days of symptom onset, or a history of travel from affected geographic areas within 14 days of symptom onset.”
How can we avoid “fake news” about COVID-19?
In addition to directing patients to consult the CDC website, healthcare providers can help to warn the public about fallacious sources. Public concern about the virus has been feeding what WHO calls an “infodemic” of dangerous misinformation and it can be hard to avoid exposure. There is a seemingly endless round of statements from apparently reputable-sounding websites, public figures, and talking heads on television, and nurses should impress upon patients the importance of applying critical thinking amid the media storm. To keep up with some of the most dangerously misleading content being circulated online, see the Newsguard Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center. You can also track down false stories spread in all forms of media on Factcheck.org’s Coronavirus page.
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