COVID-19 Discussion with Dr. Celano on WMAR
April 3, 2020
*This is a rapidly changing situation. This video was filmed on April 2, 2020. For the most up-to-date information, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov*
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing fear for many, especially cancer patients. To answer your questions, Paul Celano, MD, FACP, FASCO, Herman and Walter Samuelson Medical Director of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at GBMC, spoke with WMAR-TV news anchor Kelly Swoope about the steps that cancer patients can take to lower their risk of contracting COVID-19.
Dr. Celano explained that the group of viruses that COVID-19 belongs to has been circulating for many years. Other coronaviruses include SARS and MERS, but none of these viruses have been common enough for a vaccine to be developed. COVID-19 is a completely new virus in this family, so no one has natural immunity to it – that’s why it spreads so quickly and is affecting so many people.
The virus is spread through the droplets that occur when someone coughs or sneezes. These droplets can fall on surfaces and the virus can live on those surfaces for a significant amount of time. If you touch a contaminated surface then touch your face, you can contract the virus, which makes the disease different than others like HIV. COVID-19 is easily spread through casual contact, which can put cancer patients at risk of contracting the virus in everyday situations like going to the grocery store or being in close contact with a family member. It is especially important for cancer patients to adhere to social distancing and hand hygiene guidelines because of their suppressed immune systems.
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