It’s on everybody’s mind, to some extent, right now. If a surface is contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2virus, how long does it pose a risk of infection? The virus is thought to mainly spread through respiratory droplets. These are produced in a cloud when a person coughs or sneezes, or even talks. Some potentially-virus-laden droplets might end up getting breathed in by other people in the vicinity. But many of them end up landing on objects like door handles or water faucets. When that happens, infectious disease experts refer to that door handle as a fomite. And if a person then touches the fomite while the virus is still infectious, they can then spread it to new surfaces, or actually infect themselves. Fomites aren’t just for viruses -- any type of pathogen can create fomites -- but we’re talking about viruses… obvious reasons. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus particles don't last forever -- or even all that long. Eventually, the protein coat that allows the virus to actu
What do existing guidelines tell us about how doctors and nurses are likely to allocate scarce resources in the face of a pandemic? For weeks, ny Governor Andrew Cuomo has pleaded with the federal for more ventilators—most urgently on behalf of latest York City, the present epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak within the us . and every week that has passed has brought the region closer to a nightmare scenario: having more patients who need ventilators than there are machines for them to use. It’s like watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve in Times Square , only with none of the thrill , joy, hope—or, God forbid, crowds. It’s the grimmest of countdowns. The governor hasn’t publicly elaborated on how hospitals will decide who gets the doubtless life-saving equipment within the event of a shortage. When asked at a news conference on March 31, he said, "I don't even want to believe that consequence. i would like to try to to everything I can to possess as many ventilator