A vaccine to combat the spread of the coronavirus is still a work in progress and months away from approval. However, taking the proper precautions at home can reduce virus transmissions by nearly 50%, according to the famous TV doctor, Dr. Oz.
While on “Fox & Friends Sunday,” Oz answered many of the questions surrounding the outbreak of the virus, emphasizing the importance of handwashing and social distancing after reports on Sunday estimated the number of infected cases in the U.S. had grown to nearly 3,000 nationwide. That’s a huge jump from the 500 cases reported in the country at the start of the week.
The doctor said, “Washing your hands alone is probably a 50 percent reduction in virus transmission. It’s a DIY vaccine … it’s that powerful … that’s the best way to stay out of it … but,” he emphasized, “the most important thing is social distancing.”
This surge of new cases throughout the U.S. and across other countries has brought the entire world to a standstill. In countries like Italy, Spain, and China a complete lockdown has been declared in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Even life in the United States has changed drastically in just a week.
From work to school and even worship, many aspects of American life have been halted as health officials encourage the public to carry out “social distancing” to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Many employers have switched to telecommuting, sporting events have been postponed and Broadway shows go dark as health officials are hoping to stagger the surge in U.S cases.
“What we do hope is that over the course of the next two weeks, the initiatives that you saw the countrywide this past week will take effect,” said Dr. Oz. “It takes about that long for public safety initiatives to make a difference and when we start to see a slowing of that curve, sort of begins to level out of new cases … that’s what we’re looking for.”
