To prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the following

Tasi Khasobai
20 min readNov 28, 2020

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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.

Cleaning supplies. Barcroft Media / Contributor / Getty Images

As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the US, experts say that wiping down groceries and surfaces may not be especially important to preventing new infections.

“It’s important to clean surfaces, but not to obsess about it too much in a way that can be unhealthy,” Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for the COVID-19 response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Associated Press.

Early on in the pandemic, experts thought that sanitizing surfaces might be key to preventing some coronavirus infections. People were advised to wipe down their groceries, leave packages outside for days, and take other similar precautions. But experts now say those measures aren’t worth your time.

“As long as you don’t touch your face when you’re unpacking those groceries, and wash your hands afterwards and are careful, I think that may be sufficient,” Brooks told the AP.

The CDC says, similarly, that the coronavirus primarily spreads between people who are in close contact, and through the air they share.

“COVID-19 spreads less commonly through contact with contaminated surfaces,” the CDC says.

Excessive cleaning may give some people a false sense of security against the virus, according to Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School microbiology professor Emanuel Goldman.

“They worry less about what they breathe. And breathing is your primary source of infection,” he wrote in a medical journal in July.

Cleaning product sales at Procter & Gamble have increased more than 30% this year, driven by consumer demand for more house-scrubbing supplies. By October, P&G shares were up more than 14% annually, while Clorox likely won’t have enough disinfecting wipes to meet demand for that product until 2021, the company recently said.

In an Axios poll released over the summer, consumers said that they trusted companies like Clorox and P&G more than the federal government to keep them safe from the coronavirus.

Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you’d like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.

Get the latest coronavirus business & economic impact analysis from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is affecting industries.

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Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

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The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.

The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

How to protect yourself

Avoid touching your face
The virus can enter your body via your eyes, nose and/or mouth, so it is important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Wash your hands
Frequent washing of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or cleaning hands thoroughly with alcohol-based solutions, gels or tissues is recommended in all settings.

Stay away from infected persons
Avoid having close contacts with people infected with COVID-19.

Avoid social gatherings
Avoid physical meetings, events and other social gatherings in areas with ongoing community transmission, and follow local recommendations applicable to mass gatherings.

Use a face mask
Wear a face mask indoors and outdoors whenever physical distancing with other people cannot be guaranteed.

Call your doctor if you think you or a family member may have a SARS-CoV-2 infection or if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Do not go to a medical clinic or hospital unless it’s an emergency. This helps to avoid transmitting the virus.

Be extra watchful for worsening symptoms if you or your loved one has an underlying condition that may give you a higher chance of getting severe COVID-19, such as:

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  • Always consult local infection prevention and control protocols; only basic principles are detailed here.
  • Immediately isolate all suspected or confirmed cases in an area that is separate from other patients. Place patients in adequately ventilated single rooms if possible. When single rooms are not available, place all cases together in the same room and ensure there is at least 1 metre (3 feet) between patients.[330]
  • Implement standard precautions at all times:[330]
  • Practice hand and respiratory hygiene
  • Give patients a medical mask to wear
  • Wear appropriate personal protective equipment
  • Practice safe waste management and environmental cleaning.
  • Implement additional contact and droplet precautions before entering a room where cases are admitted:[330]
  • Wear a medical mask, gloves, an appropriate gown, and eye/facial protection (e.g., goggles or a face shield)
  • Use single-use or disposable equipment.
  • Implement airborne precautions when performing aerosol-generating procedures, including placing patients in a negative pressure room.[330]
  • Some countries and organisations recommend airborne precautions for any situation involving the care of a COVID-19 patient.
  • All specimens collected for laboratory investigations should be regarded as potentially infectious.[330]
  • Appropriate personal protective equipment gives healthcare workers a high level of protection against COVID-19. A cross-sectional study of 420 healthcare workers deployed to Wuhan with appropriate personal protective equipment tested negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on molecular and serological testing when they returned home, despite all participants having direct contact with COVID-19 patients and performing at least one aerosol-generating procedure.[331] Standard surgical masks are as effective as respirator masks for preventing infection of healthcare workers in outbreaks of viral respiratory illnesses such as influenza, but it is unknown whether this applies to COVID-19.[332]
  • Detailed infection prevention and control guidance is available:
  • WHO: infection prevention and control during health care when coronavirus disease (‎COVID-19) is suspected or confirmed external link opens in a new window
  • CDC: interim infection prevention and control recommendations for healthcare personnel during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic external link opens in a new window
  • BMJ: covid-19 — PPE guidance external link opens in a new window

Telehealth for primary care physicians

General prevention measures for the general public

Face masks for the general public

  • Recommendations on the use of face masks in community settings vary between countries.[337] It is mandatory to wear a mask in public in certain countries or in certain situations, and masks may be worn in some countries according to local cultural habits. Consult local guidance for more information.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people with symptoms of COVID-19 should wear a medical mask, self-isolate, and seek medical advice as soon as possible. The WHO also now encourages the general public to wear medical or cloth masks in specific situations and settings (e.g., areas with known or suspected widespread transmission and limited or no capacity to implement other containment measures such as social distancing, contact tracing, and testing; settings where social distancing cannot be achieved, particularly in vulnerable populations). This recommendation is based on observational evidence only.[91] The WHO does not recommend masks for the prevention of COVID-19 in the community setting in children under 5 years of age.[338]
  • There is no high-quality or direct scientific evidence to support the widespread use of masks by healthy people in the community setting, and there are risks and benefits that must be considered.[91][339] Data on effectiveness is based on limited observational and epidemiological studies. The first randomised controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of masks in the community (in addition to other public health measures such as social distancing) found that the recommendation to wear surgical masks when outside the home among others did not reduce incident SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with no mask recommendation. However, the study did not assess whether masks could decrease disease transmission from mask wearers to others.[340] A Cochrane review found that wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught influenza-like illnesses; however, this is based on low-certainty evidence, and does not include results of studies from the current COVID-19 pandemic.[341] Evidence for mask effectiveness for respiratory tract infection prevention is stronger in healthcare settings compared with community settings; direct evidence on comparative effectiveness in SARS-CoV-2 infection is lacking.[342]
  • Use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide adequate protection, and they should be used in conjunction with other infection prevention and control measures such as frequent hand hygiene and social distancing. People should wash their hands with soap and water (or an alcohol-based sanitiser) prior to putting on a face mask, and to remove it correctly. Used masks should be disposed of properly.[91]
  • Potential harms and disadvantages of wearing masks include: potential increased risk of self-contamination due to manipulation of face mask and touching face/eyes, or when non-medical masks are not changed when wet or soiled; headache and/or breathing difficulties; facial skin lesions, irritant dermatitis, or worsening acne; discomfort; difficulty communicating; social and psychological acceptance; false sense of security; poor compliance; waste management issues; and difficulties for patients with chronic respiratory conditions or breathing problems.[91] Masks may also create a humid habitat where the virus can remain active and this may increase viral load in the respiratory tract; deeper breathing caused by wearing a mask may push the virus deeper into the lungs.[343]
  • Cloth masks have limited efficacy in preventing viral transmission compared with medical-grade masks.[344] Efficacy depends on the type of material used, the number of layers, the degree of moisture in the mask, and the fitting of the mask on the face. In a study comparing the use of cloth masks to surgical masks in healthcare workers, the rates of all infection outcomes were highest in the cloth mask arm, with the rate of influenza-like illness statistically significantly higher in this group. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks, and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection.[345]
  • BMJ: facemasks for the prevention of infection in healthcare and community settings external link opens in a new window
  • BMJ: analysis — face masks for the public during the covid-19 crisis external link opens in a new window

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers

  • The CDC has issued a warning about alcohol-based sanitisers containing methanol (which may be labelled as containing ethanol). Methanol poisoning should be considered in patients who present with relevant signs and symptoms (e.g., headache, impaired vision, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of co-ordination, decreased level of consciousness) who report ingestion of hand sanitiser or frequent repeated topical use. Cases of permanent blindness and death have been reported.[346]
  • Frequent use of hand sanitisers may result in antimicrobial resistance. Accidental ingestion, especially by children, has been reported.[347]

Travel-related control measures

  • Many countries have implemented travel-related control measures including complete closure of borders, partial travel restrictions, entry or exit screening, and/or quarantine of travellers. Overall, low to very low evidence suggests that travel-related control measures may help to limit the spread of infection across national borders. Cross-border travel restrictions are likely to be more effective than entry and exit screening, and screening is likely to be more effective in combination with other measures (e.g., quarantine, observation).[348]
  • Entry/exit screening: people travelling from areas with a high risk of infection may be screened using questionnaires about their travel, contact with ill persons, symptoms of infection, and/or measurement of their temperature. Low-certainty evidence suggests that screening at travel hubs may slightly slow the importation of infected cases; however, the evidence base comes from two mathematical model studies and is limited by their assumptions. Evidence suggests that one-time screening in apparently healthy people may miss between 40% and 100% of people who are infected, although the certainty of this ranges from very low to moderate. In very low‐prevalence settings, screening for symptoms or temperature may result in few false negatives and many true negatives, despite low overall accuracy. Repeated screenings may result in more cases being identified eventually and reduced harm from false reassurance.[349] Entry screening at three major US airports found a low yield of laboratory-diagnosed cases (one case per 85,000 travellers) between January and September 2020.[350]
  • Quarantine: enforced quarantine is being used to isolate easily identifiable cohorts of people at potential risk of recent exposure. Despite limited evidence, a Cochrane review found quarantine to be important in reducing the number of people infected and deaths, especially when started earlier and when used in combination with other prevention and control measures. However, the current evidence is limited because most studies are based on mathematical modelling studies that make assumptions on important model parameters.[351] The psychosocial effects of enforced quarantine may have long-lasting repercussions.[352][353]
  • Travellers who arrive in the UK are required to self-isolate for 14 days unless they have travelled from an exempt country. Public Health England: coronavirus (COVID-19) — how to self-isolate when you travel to the UK external link opens in a new window

Social distancing

  • Many countries have implemented mandatory social distancing measures in order to reduce and delay transmission (e.g., city lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews, non-essential business closures, bans on gatherings, school and university closures, travel restrictions and bans, remote working, quarantine of exposed people).
  • Although the evidence for social distancing for COVID-19 is limited, it is emerging, and the best available evidence appears to support social distancing measures to reduce the transmission and delay spread. The timing and duration of these measures appears to be critical.[354][355]
  • Researchers in Singapore found that social distancing measures (isolation of infected individuals and family quarantine, school closures, and workplace distancing) significantly decreased the number of infections in simulation models.[356]
  • Harms must also be considered. Public health policies mostly rely on models and these models often ignore potential harms including excess death and inequalities arising from economic damage, negative health effects, and effects on vulnerable populations.[357] Negative consequences of community-based mass quarantine include psychological distress, food insecurity, economic challenges, diminished healthcare access, heightened communication inequalities, alternative delivery of education, and gender-based violence.[358]

Shielding extremely vulnerable people

  • Shielding is a measure used to protect vulnerable people (including children) who are at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 because they have an underlying health condition. Shielding involves minimising all interactions between those who are extremely vulnerable and other people to protect them from coming into contact with the virus.
  • Extremely vulnerable groups include:[359]
  • Solid organ transplant recipients
  • People with specific cancers
  • People with severe respiratory conditions (e.g., cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, or severe COPD)
  • People with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (e.g., sickle cell anaemia, severe combined immunodeficiency)
  • People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase the risk of infection
  • Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease (congenital or acquired)
  • Other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs.
  • The UK government recommends that from 5 November until 2 December 2020, clinically extremely vulnerable people are urged to follow the precautions below in addition to national restrictions:[359]
  • Stay at home at all times, except for medical appointments and exercise
  • Do not attend work (unless able to work from home)
  • Avoid all non-essential travel including visits to shops and pharmacies.
  • Consult current guidance for specific recommendations (recommendations may differ between countries).
  • Public Health England: guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 external link opens in a new window
  • Shielding advice for children and young adults is available. Consult current guidance for specific recommendations (recommendations may differ between countries).
  • Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: COVID-19 — guidance on clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people external link opens in a new window

Lifestyle modifications

  • Lifestyle modifications (e.g., smoking cessation, weight loss) may help to reduce the risk of COVID-19, and may be a useful adjunct to other interventions.[360]

Vaccines

  • Several vaccine candidates are currently approved for human testing through clinical trials, including mRNA and DNA platform vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines, spike glycoprotein nanoparticle vaccines, and inactivated virus vaccines.[361]
  • Russia became the first country in the world to approve a vaccine in early August.[362] However, only phase 1/2 results (76 participants) have been published so far.[363]
  • Previous trials of coronavirus vaccines identified cellular immunopathology and antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) as potential safety issues, so there are concerns over ADE of SARS-CoV-2 due to prior exposure to other coronaviruses (such as those that cause the common cold).[364][365]
  • Results from preliminary animal and human studies are now available, but scientists urge caution over the results.[366] There are also concerns that the current phase 3 trials may not be designed to detect a reduction in any serious outcome such as hospital admissions, use of intensive care, or deaths, or whether the vaccines can interrupt transmission of the virus — two key primary end points in vaccine efficacy trials.[367]
  • BMJ: Covid-19: What do we know about the late stage vaccine candidates? external link opens in a new window
  • BNT162b1/BNT162b2: a lipid nanoparticle-formulated, nucleoside-modified, mRNA vaccine that encodes spike glycoprotein RBD. Phase 1/2 study results in healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years have been published. RBD-binding immunoglobulin G antibodies and SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies were detected in all subjects at 28 days after two doses. Adverse reactions were dose-dependent and reported in 50% of subjects who received the 10 microgram or 30 microgram dose, and by 58% of subjects who received the 100 microgram dose.[368] Results from a phase 1 trial of BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 in younger (18 to 55 years) and older (65 to 85 years) adults have also been published.[369] A global phase 2/3 trial of BNT162b2 has been given approval to enrol children as young as 12 years of age. Enough cases have occurred in the phase 3 trial to trigger an interim efficacy analysis, and the manufacturer has submitted an emergency-use authorisation application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a decision expected by mid-December.[370]
  • mRNA-1273: a novel vaccine that uses mRNA technology not previously approved for use in humans. The mRNA encodes for a full-length prefusion stabilised spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and is encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle. Results from a phase 1 trial indicated that all 45 healthy adults (ages 18–55 years) who were given 2 injections (25, 100, or 250 micrograms) of the vaccine 28 days apart seroconverted by day 15 after the first dose. All dose groups had antibody levels in the top quartile for convalescent serum after the second vaccination. Systemic adverse events occurred more frequently after the second vaccination and occurred in 54% of participants in the 25-microgram group, and 100% of participants in the 100-microgram and 250-microgram groups. Of the cohort of 14 patients who received the highest dose (250 micrograms), 21% of participants experienced one or more severe adverse events following the second dose. One participant in the 25-microgram group was withdrawn due to transient urticaria related to the first vaccination. The study did not include people with underlying conditions.[371] mRNA-1273 has been granted fast-track designation by the FDA, and phase 3 trials have started. A phase 1 trial in older adults has been completed.[372] Enough cases have occurred in the phase 3 trial to trigger an interim efficacy analysis.
  • AZD1222 (formerly known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19): an adenovirus vector vaccine that carries the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Preliminary results (not peer reviewed) from animal studies found that a single dose induced a humoral and cellular response in mice and rhesus macaques. However, while viral loads in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of vaccinated animals were significantly reduced compared with unvaccinated animals, reduction in viral shedding from the nose was not observed.[373] A phase 1/2, single-blind, randomised controlled trial in young healthy volunteers that used the meningococcal conjugate vaccine as a control found that AZD1222 was immunogenic. Local and systemic reactions were more common in the AZD1222 group and no serious adverse events were reported in the 28 days following vaccination.[374] The UK-based phase 3 trial was halted in early September after a vaccine participant experienced an unexplained illness.[375] News reports suggested that the participant developed transverse myelitis, a serious adverse event reported with almost all vaccines. The trial has now resumed in the UK following confirmation by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that it was safe to do so. The company has not disclosed the nature of the adverse event.[376] Trials have now resumed in all countries, including the US. A single-blind, randomised, controlled phase 2/3 trial found that the vaccine appears to be better tolerated in adults aged 70 years and older compared with younger adults, and has similar immunogenicity across all age groups after a boost dose.[377] Enough cases have occurred in the phase 3 trial to trigger an interim efficacy analysis.[378]
  • Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus (CoronaVac®): contains a more traditional chemically inactivated version of the virus. The vaccine was found to induce immunity in mice, rats, and non-human primates. When challenged with the virus, monkeys who were vaccinated with the highest dose of the vaccine did not develop infection, and no virus was recovered from the throat, lung, or rectum.[379] In an interim analysis of two ongoing randomised controlled trials in healthy adults aged 18 to 59 years, a phase 1 trial of 96 participants and a phase 2 trial of 224 participants, the vaccine induced a neutralising antibody response by 14 days. The studies compared the vaccine with an alum adjuvant. The incidence of adverse effects across all participants within 7 days of injection was 15%, most commonly injection-site reactions and fever.[380] The vaccine has been approved for emergency use in China based on data from a phase 1/2 study that showed that the vaccine elicited a humoral response against SARS-CoV-2. The protective efficacy of the vaccine remains to be determined.[381] No data from the ongoing phase 3 trials have been published as yet.
  • NVX-CoV2373: a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nanoparticle vaccine composed of trimeric, full-length, SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins and Matrix-M1® adjuvant (an adjuvant based on saponin extracted from the Quillaja saponaria Molina tree). A phase 1/2 randomised, placebo controlled trial in 131 healthy adults aged 18 to 59 years in Australia found that NVX-CoV2373 elicited immune responses that exceeded levels in COVID-19 convalescent serum at 35 days.[382] A phase 3 trial has started, and it has been granted fast-track designation by the FDA.
  • JNJ-78436735 (formerly known as Ad26.COV2.S): a monovalent vaccine composed of a recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) vector, constructed to encode the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The vaccine is currently in phase 3 trials. The trial was paused due to an undisclosed serious adverse event, but has now resumed.[383]
  • Ad5-nCoV: a recombinant adenovirus type-5 (Ad5) vectored vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Results from a single-centre, open-label, non-randomised, dose-escalation phase 1 trial in China report that the vaccine was immunogenic, inducing humoral responses (peaking 28 days after vaccination) and T-cell responses (peaking 14 days after vaccination) in most participants. Participants were healthy and had no underlying diseases. At least one adverse reaction was reported within the first 7 days after vaccination in 83% (low- and medium-dose groups) and 75% (high-dose group) of participants. The most common adverse reactions reported included injection-site reactions, fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. No serious adverse events were noted within 28 days of vaccination.[384] A phase 2 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in around 500 healthy adults (50% male, mean age 39 years) found that the vaccine induced a significant immune response in the majority of patients after a single dose of either the 1x1011 or the 5x1010 viral particle dose at day 28. Adverse reactions were significantly higher in the Ad5-nCoV group compared with placebo, and were reported in 72% of participants in the 1x1011 viral particle dose group and 74% of participants in the 5x1010 viral particle dose group.[385]
  • Results from other vaccine candidates are becoming available; however, a detailed discussion of all vaccine candidates is beyond the scope of this topic.
  • The FDA has issued guidance to vaccine developers that in order for it to approve a vaccine candidate the primary efficacy end-point point estimate for a placebo-controlled efficacy trial should be at least 50%, and the statistical success criterion should be that the lower bound of the appropriately alpha-adjusted confidence interval around the primary efficacy end-point point estimate is >30%.[386]

Pre-exposure or postexposure prophylaxis

Immunity passports

  • Some governments are discussing or implementing certifications for people who have contracted and recovered from COVID-19 based on antibody tests (sometimes called ‘immunity passports’). Possession of a passport would allow people to have a greater range of privileges (e.g., work, education, travel). However, the WHO does not support these certifications as there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from infection and have antibodies are protected from reinfection.[387] Other potential issues include lack of public support for these measures, potential for discrimination of groups of people, testing errors (including cross-reactivity with other human coronaviruses), access to testing, fraud, legal and ethical objections, and people getting infected intentionally in order to obtain a certification.[388]

Smoking cessation

  • Past or current smokers have nearly double the risk for severe disease, and smoking cessation should be encouraged.[389] The WHO recommends that tobacco users stop using tobacco given the well-established harms associated with tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure.[264] Public Health England also

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