A letter from a well-known virologist came to the network. The doctor advises his friends on how to prepare for the epidemic

Do not grasp the handle with your hand, do not touch the light switches with your fingers. These and many other precautions are listed by Dr. James Robb in his famous letter. A private message with advice on the coronavirus immediately made its way around the world.

1. Dr. James Robb, who sent out the famous letter of advice on how to deal with the epidemic, is an established virologist who has been studying coronaviruses since the 70s.
2. In the letter, the specialist specifies where it is best to keep disinfectants, how to use them and how to avoid carrying the coronavirus on your hands by changing your daily habits.
3. After the letter was published, the main topics of discussion were two issues raised in it: disposable masks and zinc intake

A letter from a virologist. What to do to protect yourself from the coronavirus?

Dr. James Robb, pathologist and molecular virologist who taught at the University of California and was a consultant at the National Cancer Institute (USA), as one of the first scientists in the world (already in the 70s) to study coronaviruses. He followed the course of the SARS and MERS epidemics. Faced with the threat of a brand new strain of coronavirus spreading, he sent out a private message to his friends. He provided detailed advice on how to avoid falling ill with COVID-19 and similar viral infections. The news went public and went viral very quickly. However, some of Dr. Robb’s hints are controversial.

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Dr. Robb writes that according to forecasts SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will spread in the US between mid-March and the end of April. His list of recommendations and precautions (except for the use of a mask and gloves) takes into account the actions the virologist himself takes each flu season. Dr. Robb advises:

1. Give up the handshake and instead use a different type of greeting, e.g. high-fist (but not a high five!), make a slight bow or elbow the other person. 
2. Touch light switches, elevator buttons, etc. ONLY the knuckle of the bent toe. When refueling, lift the fuel dispenser by a paper towel or use a disposable glove. 
3. Open the door closed fist or hip. Do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. This is especially important for bathroom doors and those located in public places, such as the post office. 
4. If you have access to disinfectant wipes, use them in shops, for wiping hands, strollers and child seats. 
5. Wash your hands soap for 10-20 seconds and / or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers (over 60%) whenever you come home from any activity where other people have been.  
6. Hold on disinfectants at the entrance to the house and in the carso that it is easy to use after refueling and touching dirty objects, when you cannot wash your hands immediately. 
7. If it is possible when you cough or sneeze use disposable wipes and throw them away. If this is not possible, cover your mouth with your elbow, but remember that clothing can contain a virus that can spread for a week or more! 

On the list of items worth having at home, Dr.Robb wrote:

1. Latex or nitrile gloves for shopping, using fuel tanks, and other activities in contaminated areas. 
2. Disposable surgical maskswhich can be helpful not because they protect us from airborne droplets, but because they stop us from unconsciously touching our mouth and nose. Most of us do it 90 times a day! 
3. Zinc in tablets, because – according to the information contained in the letter – zinc lozenges inhibit the multiplication of the coronavirus (and most other viruses) in the nose and throat. According to the instructions provided, they should be used several times a day when the first symptoms of the disease appear. It is best to suck such tablets lying down so that they can dissolve in the nasopharynx. 

According to an American virologist, it is worth stocking up on personal protective equipment now. It is important to have the right size of gloves for all family members and alcohol-based disinfectants (at a concentration of at least 60%), because only such are effective.

See also:

1. Coronavirus: Q&A. What to do when symptoms of infection appear?
2. Coronavirus in Poland. Where to report when you have symptoms? List of infectious wards

Zinc in the fight against coronavirus? Controversies

The letter, which accidentally hit such a wide audience, contains some controversial points, though most of Dr. Robb’s postulates are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The first moot point is the use of disposable masks. The WHO recommends using such safeguards only for people who are already sick, look after the sick and are healthcare professionals.

However, the part concerning the use of zinc raises the most doubts, along with detailed instructions (and an indication of the specific brand of the supplement). The US Department of Health and Humanitarian Affairs reports: Zinc allows the body to produce and activate T cells. Acknowledges that children and elderly people with zinc deficiency in developing countries are more prone to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.

There are scientific reports according to which short-term oral zinc treatment shortens the time of viral infection with the appropriate dose of the supplement, but only in adults. According to a study by Dr. Joseph Adrian L. Buensalido published last year, treatment works when at least 24 mg of zinc is ingested within the first 75 hours of symptoms of infection. However, it should be used with great caution, because according to the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) daily a dose exceeding 150 mg may result in side effects in the form of decreased function of the immune system.

So, do not use zinc without consulting your doctor.

Will the coronavirus epidemic be stopped?

Dr Robb believes the chances of containing the coronavirus outbreak are slim. People have not come into contact with this pathogen before, so their organisms are not immune to it. Great efforts are being made around the world to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Incredible knowledge has already been gained about its genome, structure and virulence, but no drugs or vaccines will be available this year to protect us from the new pathogen. For now, only symptomatic treatment is available.

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