Frequently Asked Questions about Treatments & Vaccines
NO. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations.
NO, antibiotics do not work against viruses, they only work against bacteria.
The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment.
However, if you are hospitalized for the 2019-nCoV, you may receive antibiotics because bacterial co-infection is possible.
There is no specific treatment available to combat the novel coronavirus. The treatment of severely ill people focuses on treating the symptoms. The doctors can, for example, provide oxygen to patients with breathing difficulties. Experiments are being carried out with various medicines, such as chloroquine, a medicine that is prescribed for malaria. There are some indications that chloroquine helps with the treatment of COVID-19, but this still needs to be scientifically verified (proven).
Chloroquine is not freely available and can only be prescribed by doctors. This substance should not be confused with chloroquine phosphate; this is not a medicine, but a substance used to clean aquariums.
More can be found also about this subject on our (Medical) Research part on this page.
Source: RIVM
NO NO NO and please don’t try this at home! These are suggestions from a foolish President… and so dangerous.
Maybe those agents kill the virus when OUTSIDE of the body, but if you try it inside the body you will probably end up DEAD. So my answer might be wrong as is kils the virus, but it will kill you too!
There are plenty of references for my answer: BBC | CNN | The Guardian | ABC News Australia
The novel coronavirus detected in China in 2019 is closely related genetically to the SARS-CoV-1 virus. SARS emerged at the end of 2002 in China, and it caused more than 8 000 cases in 33 countries over a period of eight months. Around one in ten of the people who developed SARS died.
As of 10 April 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak had caused over 1.700.000 cases worldwide since the first case was reported in China in January 2020. Of these, more than 100 000 are known to have died.
While the viruses that cause both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are transmitted from person-to-person and may cause similar symptoms, the two viruses are very different and do not behave in the same way.
ECDC estimates that between 15 000 and 75 000 people die prematurely due to causes associated with seasonal influenza infection each year in the EU, the UK, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This is approximately 1 in every 1 000 people who are infected. Despite the relatively low mortality rate for seasonal influenza, many people die from the disease due to the large number of people who contract it each year. The concern about COVID-19 is that, unlike influenza, there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the disease. It also appears to be more transmissible than seasonal influenza. As it is a new virus, nobody has prior immunity, which means that the entire human population is potentially susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Source: ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
Viruses spread very easily via our hands. By washing your hands frequently and thoroughly you can reduce the chance of becoming ill, and also reduce the change of infecting others. Soap kills the virus by destroying the lipid layer that houses the virus. That is why washing your hands with soap is so effective. See here tips for the best way to wash your hands.
Watch a video on how to wash your hands properly
Source: RIVM & ECDC
This question is still difficult to answer the question and the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that “there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”
While US officials have championed the Antibody Test as a way to determine who is immune to the virus, others, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have urged caution as it’s not yet clear what immunity means for this virus.
It seems that it is thus possible, but again very early to have a sure answer.
More info about this can be found at the following sites:
Influenza and the virus that causes COVID-19 are two very different viruses and the seasonal influenza vaccine will not protect against COVID-19.
Source: ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
Ivermectin has been mentioned several times during this pandemic and a lot is been said about it. It’s a very cheap drug and thus not financially interesting at all for the Farmaceutical Industry as the patent for it has expired. Therefore it will be difficult to have it tested as it should probably be done.
My personal opinion, and from seeing around me, is that this drug definately seems to help in the recovery of COVID-19. Does it cure? I don’t think so. Does it prevent you from dying (if you are amongst those unlucky ones)? I don’t think so, though as it eases your symptoms in many cases and it might just give the extra energy available to your immune system to fight the virus and indeed survive where otherwise you wouldn’t. Does is prevent you from getting the virus? Definately NO, as it only treats the symptoms it seems. But I cannot stress enough that this is my personal opinion based on no scientifical support! Does a Vaccine prevent you from getting the virus? In over 90% of the cases YES!
Why not test it then? Well in my opinion, and again no scientifical or research support at all, there are probably several other existing drugs that might work, however we, in the current world, are unfortunately unable to agree on many things, let at all take the decision on which drug to support/test/try… and thus it will not happen now. I sincerely hope it will be done in the next few years though.
Therefore governements, off course backed by farmaceutical companies for clear financial profits, have started to develop Vaccines. Why? Well for sure we know from experience of the past that we are able to create vaccines to fight viruses such as the current COVID-19 and thus at least we are sure to have something that would combat it and make our own immune system fight the virus correctly in a fairly short amount of time. (that is what currently happened) If a drug was investigated, such as Ivermectin, the end results would not have been sure, neither to agree on which drugs to test… and that would have taken probably much more time than creating a vaccine we are sure would help, and we just don’t have that time in a Pandemic.
There seem to be some serious risks if you take the drug, however more research needs to be done.
More information, without checking if all true, can be found here: WebMD | Merck | Court cases | FDA | EMA | WHO | Sciencedirect | BMJ | Gavi als has a nice explanation about Ivermectin
If you are infected, the use of surgical face masks may reduce the risk of you infecting other people. On the other hand there is no evidence that face masks will effectively prevent you from becoming infected with the virus. In fact, it is possible that the use of face masks may even increase the risk of infection due to a false sense of security and increased contact between hands, mouth and eyes while wearing them. The inappropriate use of masks also may increase the risk of infection.
In many countries, face masks are only advised for medical personnel. People who work with (possibly) infected people use professional face masks. These face masks only help if they are used correctly; they must fit closely over the nose and mouth and they must be changed regularly. The simple (paper) face masks that most people use do not protect the wearer against the virus.
- If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection.
- Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
- Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.
- Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
- Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
- To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Information from the CDC in the USA: In light of new data about how COVID-19 spreads, along with evidence of widespread COVID-19 illness in communities across the country, CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face covering to cover their nose and mouth in the community setting. This is to protect people around you if you are infected but do not have symptoms. Some more FAQ from the CDC is given here.
Source: ECDC, RIVM & CDC
There is (as yet) no medication available to combat the novel coronavirus. Paracetamol and ibuprofen will not cure the virus, but can help to reduce complaints, such as fever, sore throat and malaise. There is no proof that the use of paracetamol or ibuprofen (or diclofenac or naproxen, so-called NSAIDs) will make the illness caused by the virus worse. The preferred choice is paracetamol, because it has the fewest side-effects.
Source: RIVM
Well it seems there are some cases where this happens, even to the younger ones. It is too early to confirm but the future will tell us as for many questions and answers about this Coronavirus COVID-19. Read some more articles on the following news sites:
It is a straightforward question that most people would like answered. If someone is infected with COVID-19, how likely is that person to die?
This question is simple, but surprisingly hard to answer.
For a complete analysis about this question and all the answers take a look at this website and graphics.
There is no specific approved treatment for this disease, Vaccines are being developed, available and given.
Healthcare providers are mostly using a symptomatic approach, meaning they treat the symptoms rather than target the virus, and provide supportive care (e.g. oxygen therapy, fluid management) for infected persons, which can be highly effective.
In severe and critically ill patients, a number of drugs are being tried to target the virus, but the use of these need to be more carefully assessed in randomised controlled trials. Several clinical trials are ongoing to assess their effectiveness but results are not yet available.
As this is a new virus, only few and small quantities of the vaccine will initially be available. Although work on a vaccine is still ongoing by several research groups and pharmaceutical companies worldwide, as mutations develop this is an ongoing exercise.
See also our question about if there is a vaccine against the coronavirus or how long it takes to develop a vaccine?
Source: ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
Currently several vaccines have been developed and work is done on boosters and medication. (see below for more info on how long it takes for a vaccine to be developed)
Current information about Vaccines can be found here.
Do Vaccines work?
- Information on the CDC website
- Dutch studio RIVM website
- A study published on the Lancet
Source: ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
Yes! Currently several vaccines have been developed or are being developed.
Current information about Vaccines can be found here.
What are the risks of blot clots due to taking the Vaccine against COVID-19? Well the figures are not final, as too early, but they seem very low and around 0.00009%…. In contrast to that, and certainly no final figures as well, it seems that about 30% of COVID-19 survivors followed for up to nine months reported ‘persistent symptoms,’ a recent study found…
Read this interesting article why it seems unfair though to compare the blood clot issue with pregnancy prevention pills.
Information other risks, as with every vaccine:
- From the CDC website
- Of the website of Johns Hopkins
- Via the Mayo Clinic
- The site of the English NHS
- From the WHO
- Via the government of Canada
YES! Though vaccinations does not mean you cannot get COVID-19, as with any vaccination, it is more and more obvious that it gives you a lesser chance of ending up being hospitalised as can be seen in different studies. An interesting way to see why it works is shown in these movies here and here (in Dutch but very easy explanation).
I have made a comparison image with the “daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million” and the “number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals. You can find it here. As you can see though the number of cases is similar, or even higher, the number of hospitalisations is lower every single time. This clearly shows that vaccinating helps and puts less pressure on the health care systems.
Some extra information:
- Information on the CDC website
- Dutch study RIVM website
- A study published on the Lancet
- Report from the Washington State (USA)
Impossible to write them all down here, so I let you the choice of going to some of the below websites and decide yourself.
- University of Missouri
- Some interesting video’s (in Dutch) on the website of the University of Amsterdam.
- Information about the myths of fertility and miscarriage by the BBC
- The Mayo Clinic on COVID-19 myths
- Five biggest myth about COVID-19 vaccines debunked, Fortune
- How do all these myths start, interesting article on NPR
- The COVID-19 vaccine does not change human DNA, UNICEF
- Questions and Answers about COVID-19 Vaccines from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- 11 myths about COVID vaccines and kids, University of Michigan Health & Medicine
- Debunking COVID-19 vaccine myths on healthline
- Fighting disinformation from the Europe Commission