COVID-19 Fact Guide: FAQs, Hotlines and Expert Sources

Are young people at risk with COVID-19?

Young people are still susceptible to severe outcomes from COVID-19. Furthermore, young people who don’t show symptoms can still infect other people who are more vulnerable. Yes, young people are less likely to die from COVID-19, but they can pass it along just as easily, or even end up hospitalized themselves.

“We’ve seen cases where pediatric patients or children have to go to the hospital and be on ventilators. We’ve seen young adults have to go to the hospital and be on ventilators,” said Dr. Thomas

Will COVID-19 go away as the weather gets warmer?

The coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets, which spread from person to person independent of the outdoor temperature or season. There is no evidence to support the claim that warm weather will put an end to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“There’s some data for coronavirus transmission and seasonal patterns, but most of it is limited,” said Dr. Kilgore. “We know to some extent in the cooler, drier months, some viruses may go further. There’s other viruses we know that have other seasonal patterns. So there is a chance that we could see transmission in warmer months.”

What is your advice for someone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms?

“If you have mild or moderate symptoms, it’s best to treat this like any other viral infection that we’ve all had before: Rest, plenty of fluids, tea with honey, lozenges, and generally staying at home and not interacting with anybody else who you could transmit this too,” said Dr. Thomas.

If symptoms get worse, make sure you’re documenting the changes.

“Measure your temperature multiple times a day,” said Dr. Kilgore. “That information can be communicated to your healthcare provider, that helps them understand what you’re experiencing.”

Patients are likely to wax and wane in their symptoms, said Dr. Kilgore. If that happens, that’s a really important time to get in touch with your healthcare provider.

If things are changing, that’s when you should go into the emergency department. This sickness can advance quickly.

“The time to take yourself to the hospital is really if you have severe symptoms: Chest pain, chest pressure, difficulty breathing,” said Dr. Elconin, adding a high fever for immunocompromised individuals. “I would call the emergency room ahead of time and let them know that you’re coming, because they would want to take precautions for themselves too.”

After someone comes down with COVID-19, how long does it last, and how long will they be contagious after?

“Once somebody is sick, I would probably ask that they quarantine for up to two weeks,” said Dr. Elconin. “I have read data that the virus can shed for days and weeks after.”

Dr. Kilgore recommends an additional two weeks in quarantine during recovery, if subsequent testing can’t be done.

“We know the virus can be shed even when the patient has recovered clinically. During that recuperation period, people can shed virus into the environment,” said Dr. Kilgore.

For people in recovery, Kilgore recommends great hand hygiene is important, regular cleaning of surfaces, and in particular making sure all the surfaces where food is prepared are washed down with disinfectant.