It is an unfortunate reality that we are flooded with half-truths and outright lies on a daily basis in many areas of our lives. It is even more unfortunate that this reality has been magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic; bad information can put lives at risk in extreme cases. Given the conflicting information out there in the world about the virus, we thought we’d take this opportunity to debunk of a few of the more egregious pieces of misinformation.
Even the most introverted of us are feeling the pressure of being alone, and trapped, during this pandemic. One of the more interesting abilities we have as humans is our ability to justify things in real time, and actually convince ourselves of something we should know to be false. To that end, there has been an increase in the number of people making the argument that small group gatherings are ok, provided nobody attends large gatherings; this misses the mark.
The ban on social gatherings was premised on a few things, only one of which was that your chance of catching the virus increases in proportion with the number of people you are around. However, we need to keep in mind that many carriers are asymptomatic, and we simply don’t have enough testing yet (but we’re getting closer on this front). Ultimately, it’s probably safer to hang out with a few people who have also been good about social distancing, but it’s safest to just follow the guidelines and ride this out home.
You may have seen some articles out there that have suggested that microwaving your mail will kill the virus, rendering mail perfectly safe. This simply isn’t true. The virus can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard, so if you are concerned, it’s best to just wait 24 hours before you grab your mail. If there is something time sensitive that you need to address, give the mail a quick spray of Lysol disinfectant and make sure you wash your hands after you’ve discarded all of the packaging
In a similar vein, recalling that the virus can live for 24 hours on cardboard, overseas packages take about 30 days to arrive at your doorstep (this number seems high, so let’s just use a week). Thus, a package that was exposed to COVID-19 before being shipped will not be infected by the time it arrives in the U.S. Indeed, it is just as likely to get infected as your mail, which you don’t have to grab immediately. Wait 24 hours after your package is delivered, and then grab your stuff.
Some people have suggested using household items like vodka to disinfect surfaces and kill the virus; this is alcohol abuse. Vodka belongs in a mixed beverage, not in a spray bottle on your counter. Bleach has proven to be effective when used properly, which means mixing 1/3 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water and wiping surfaces down; under no circumstances should you ingest this mixture.
At the Chernov Team we understand that knowledge is power, and separating fact from fiction is powerful knowledge indeed. At the Chernov Team we know that whoever comes to the table most prepared leaves with the most, and the Chernov Team always leaves with the most. If you have questions, go directly to the CDC website for answers, experts know best.