THE U.S.?
POSSIBLY.
WE NEED TO WATCH VERY CLOSELY.
BRIGETTE: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
HANDWASHING BUT THAT IS
SOMETHING YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST WAYS
TO PREVENT GETTING SICK.
WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO WASH
YOUR HANDS?
20 SECONDS.
WE DISCUSSED THIS PREVIOUSLY.
SAYING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
YOURSELF TWICE IN YOUR HEAD IS
20 SECONDS.
IT A MUST FEELS UNNATURAL
BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT WASHING YOUR
HANDS THAT LONG BUT THAT IS HOW
LONG IT TAKES TO PROPERLY WASH
OFF THE GERMS AND BACTERIA AND
VIRUSES TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT ANYTIME
YOU ARE TOUCHING PUBLIC SERVICES
-- SURFACES.
I ALWAYS MENTIONED DOOR HANDLES,
THINGS THAT PEOPLE TOUCH
COMMONLY, YOU TOUCH YOUR FACE
AND THEN THERE IS POTENTIAL
THREAT.
WASHING YOUR HANDS IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
ALL S URFACES.
USING HAND SANITIZER WHEN YOU
DON'T HAVE SOAP AND WATER.
IF YOU HAVE SOAP AND WATER, THAT
IS THE BEST.
LAUREN: THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO
PREVENT FROM GETTING SICK?
DR. RUPIE: EXACTLY.
NOT TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND
MOUTH AS WELL.
WE TEND TO TOUCH OUR FACE QUITE
A BIT.
I TEND TO TOUCH MY OWN FACE
QUITE A BIT, BUT BEING CAUSING
COGNIZANT OF THAT.
IF YOU ARE SICK, STAYING AT
HOME.
IF YOU ARE IN PUBLIC, WHERE HE
MESSED.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING YOU
CAN COPY INTO, COUGHING TO YOUR
ELBOW.
LAUREN: WE HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS.
I KNOW A LOT OF VIEWERS DO.
LET'S ANSWER SOME FEWER
QUESTIONS THAT ARE POSTED ON THE
FACEBOOK PAGE.
JENNY ASKS, HOW LONG DOES THE
VIRUS LAST ON SURFACES?
HOW LONG CAN IT BE REWORN
AND
REUSED?
DR. RUPIE: WE DON'T KNOW HOW
LONG IT LAST ON SURFACES.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER VIRUSES
AND MAKE ASSUMPTIONS, EDUCATED
GUESSES.
IN GENERAL, VIRUSES COULD LAST
FROM A COUPLE OF HOURS TO A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
IN GENERAL, VIRUSES DO NOT
THOUGHT -- SURVIVE VERY LONG.
THE INFLUENZA VIRUS FOR AN
EXAMPLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
SURVIVE TRAVEL.
TRAVEL FROM CHINA TO HEAR, A
SHIPMENT OR WHATNOT, IT IS
UNLIKELY A VIRUS WILL BE ABLE TO
SURVIVE FOR THAT DURATION OF
TIME.
THE M-95 MASK AT THIS TIME
IS
ONLY RECOMMENDED FOR HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE IN CONTACT
WITH AN ACTIVE CASE OR A
SUSPECTED CASE.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY FOLKS WHO
SHOULD BE WEARING THOSE MASKS AT
THIS POINT.
AND ANY MASK SHOULD NOT BE
REUSED.
WE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT
DIFFERENT PLAYERS OF THE MASK.
AN OUTSIDE LAYER THAT REPELS
FLUID.
AN INSIDE LAYER THAT FILTERS.
AN INNER THAT ABSORBS MOISTURE.
AS YOU ARE TALKING, MOISTURE IS
IN THE AREA.
WHAT HAPPENS IS IF YOU REUSE IT,
THAT MOISTURE CAN BREED
BACTERIA.
BRIGETTE: GERMS.
DR. RUPIE: IT CAN CAUSE AN
INFECTION YOU NEVER USE THE
FACEMASK.
BRIGETTE: GOOD TO KNOW.
ANOTHER QUESTION.
CHEZ WANTS TO KNOW, CAN COLD OR
COOLER TEMPERATURES HELP FIGHT
OFF THE VIRUS?
DR. RUPIE: THAT IS UNKNOWN AT
THIS POINT.
THAT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE
CASE.
IN FACT IF WE EXTRAPOLATE FROM
OTHER VIRUSES AND OTHER
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, US LIVING
IN HAWAII IN THE TROPICAL
CLIMATE IS ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL
BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ENCLOSED TO
CONFINED SPACES BECAUSE IT IS
COLD.
WE ARE LUCKY TO BE IN A TROPICAL
CLIMATE WHERE WE ARE LESS LIKELY
TO BE COMING IN CLOSE CONTACT
WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE SICK.
EVEN INFLUENZA AND WHATNOT -- WE
ARE OUTDOORS.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE SPACE AND
PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO BE
OUTDOORS IN THE WINTER WHEREAS
IN OTHER PLACES THEY ARE
ENCLOSED, CONFINED SPACES.
THERE ARE A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
LAUREN: I WOULD HAVE NEVER OF
THOUGHT THAT KIND OF TEMPERATURE
AFFECTS IT.
BRIGETTE: GET ANOTHER REASON WHY
WE ARE LUCKY TO BE LIVING IN
HAWAII.
THOMAS ATTACHED AN IMAGE THAT
CIRCULATE ONLINE.
HE WANTS TO KNOW IF THIS IS
ACCURATE.
DR. RUPIE: THERE IS A LOT OF
MISINFORMATION BEING SPREAD ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM.
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT WHO YOU ARE LOOKING AT,
WHERE YOU ARE GETTING YOUR
INFORMATION FROM ESPECIALLY AT A
TIME LIKE THIS.
THIS IS AN ALARMING SITUATION.
IT IS RAPIDLY EVOLVING.
UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND HAVE THEIR
OWN AGENDAS OR WHATNOT FOR
SPREADING THIS INFORMATION.
YOUR MAIN SOURCES OF RELIABLE
INFORMATION ARE THE CDC AND WHO.
THEY WILL BE THE MOST
UP-TO-DATE, RELIABLE AND THAT
WILL BE WHERE I WILL TURN TO FOR
INFORMATION.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING.
LAUREN: LASTLY, AS YOU
MENTIONED, IT IS IMPORTANT NOT
TO PANIC.
DR. RUPIE: ABSOLUTELY.
WHEN SUBBING MY THIS IS
OCCURRING AND -- SOMETHING LIKE
THIS IS OCCURRING AND THERE IS
CONCERN AND PANIC, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO STICK TO THE FACTS.
WHAT IS THE SITUATION?
AT THIS POINT IN THE UNITED
STATES, WE ARE AT A MUCH HIGHER
RISK FOR CATCHING OR BEING
AFFECTED BY INFLUENZA.
WE TALK ABOUT 15 MILLION CASES,
OVER A THOUSAND DEATHS.
YOU PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE,
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SEVEN KNOWN
CASES IN THE U.S.
THERE HAS BEEN HUMAN TO HUMAN
TRANSITIONS.
WE HAVE HAD NO CASUAL
TRANSMISSION TO THE GENERAL
PUBLIC.
AND OVER ALL, EVEN THOUGH THE
NUMBERS ARE BLUE -- BALLOONING
OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, THERE
ARE SO MANY EFFORTS IN PLACE
RIGHT NOW INCLUDING THE PUBLIC
HEALTH EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TO
HELP CONTAIN THE VIRUS AND HELP
TO TRY TO CONTAIN THIS
SITUATION.
LAUREN: GOOD WAY TO PUT IT INTO
PERSPECTIVE.
GETTING THE FLU IS MORE LIKELY
THAN GETTING THE CORONAVIRUS.
DR. RUPIE: AT THIS POINT, YES.
BRIGETTE: THANK YOU FOR BEING
WITH US IN STUDIO.
GO TO HER FACEBOOK PAGE RIGHT
AFTER THIS NEWSCAST.
DR. RUPIE AND I WILL BE DOING
ANOTHER FACEBOOK LIFE TO ANSWER
MORE QUESTIONS.
LAUREN: THANK YOU AGAIN.