There are a lot of reports about coronavirus. Every morning on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show we are reporting more and more cases in the United States. With so many people in panic, stores running out of Purell and other cleaning products, we asked Dr. Oz to come on the air and share what is happening, which rumors are false, and what steps we should take if we notice symptoms.
On the odds and comparisons to the flu:
“The good news is, this virus does not seem to be that lethal. We don’t know of cases where people have died under the age of ten. If you’re an average healthy adult, it’s probably a 2 in a thousand chance you’ll die, just to put in prospective it’s 1 in a thousand if you get the regular old fashioned influenza flu. It’s a little more deadly than the flu but not much. The problem happens in older folks. When you go see grandma, that’s where the risk happens. People over the age 60 have a higher risk of dying, it sort of doubles for every decade after that.”
On the rumors that this virus will wipe out the population:
“Part of the issue is why everyone is so panicked about this. We have a deep seed psyche that a virus is going to come wipe our species out. Because historically, that was always a big threat, the Spanish influenza, the bubonic plague, and if you ask experts there will be a big virus that will come for us, this is not that virus.”
On when we are getting a vaccine:
“We’re not going to have a vaccine for at least a year, a year and a half.”
On how to prevent the virus:
“Sleep and exercise really help your immune system in general. You have to do it independent of the coronavirus. There are general protection tactics, washing your hands, but it’s your fingers you have to wash, not the back of your hands. Wash your fingertips. A humidifier helps as well. If you’re smoking or vaping, please stop. It’s make your lungs weakened, and the way this virus hurts you is by getting in your lungs and causing pneumonia.”
“There are some supplements that probably make sense. I’m thinking Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, they can shorten the duration of an illness if you get one. Zinc helps, Elderberry… simple little things, not proven to cure cancer or stop coronavirus, but could shorten the duration of the virus.”
“Avoid being exposed to people in close cramped areas. Arms length rule.”
On whether the masks work:
“Most masks are a waste of time. It doesn’t protect you from anything.”
What should you do if you feel the symptoms:
“If you think you have coronavirus, just stay home. Don’t go see anybody, don’t go get tested, it’s not worth it, just stay home and isolate yourself. If you go to the hospital you’re bringing the virus with you. You’re getting the person driving you sick, the people in the ER, they’re all getting ill with you. So just stay home, you’ll be fine. 80 percent of people who get this virus, their symptoms are so mild they’re not even sure they have the virus. The signs are fever, fatigue, then you’ll start getting dry cough, and actually a lot of people get diarrhea. But none of those are life threatening, none of those make you panic. If you’re not sure you have allergy or coronavirus, it’s not that severe. On the other hand, if you’re getting short of breath, if you’re getting light headed, please get to the hospital. We will overwhelm our ERs and hospitals if we’re not thoughtful about this.
On the idea of your pet contracting the virus:
“I have not seen data on a pet getting coronavirus and transmitting it…. Theoretically they could get the virus, but there are zero reported cases.”