How do masks protect us from viruses?
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(CNN Spanish) -
From the use of masks, drugs to handle the coronavirus and the very existence of covid-19, in this episode, Dr. Elmer Huerta explores the controversies that have arisen in this more than half a year of coexistence with the disease.
You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform, or read the transcript below.
Hello, I am Dr. Elmer Huerta and this is your daily dose of information on the new coronavirus.
Information that we hope will be useful to take care of your health and that of your family.
Today we will see what are the 10 points of apparent controversy that divide populations in relation to covid-19.
There is no doubt that we are living in very special times.
Times in which we are hyper-connected and communication is instantaneous.
It is estimated that, in the world, which has more than seven billion inhabitants, there are around 3.5 billion smartphones.
That fact, in addition to the existence of multiple media and communication platforms, makes it possible for the news to go around the world in an astonishingly immediate way.
That instantaneity makes many people able to find out about news that is related to them and immediately share it with others with whom they have the same affinity.
10 controversies about the coronavirus
In this way, certain ideas - in this case about the new coronavirus and covid-19 - are formed and circulated, generally fueled by political beliefs and the way the world is seen.
In that sense, today we will see 10 of those apparent controversies - and I say apparent because from a scientific point of view they are not - that have been formed with respect to covid-19 and that have been compiled by Dr. Eric Topol from Scripps Institute of La Jolla, California.
Masks
The first is about the use of masks.
While the vast majority of the population has the natural instinct that a physical barrier such as a mask or mask will protect them, the minority do not believe in them, thinking rather that it represents an attack on their freedom.
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Physical distancing
Another is about the physical distance of 2 meters between people.
Like masks, the vast majority of people understand that being separated provides protection, while the minority do not believe in it.
He considers it an exaggeration and an attack on his freedom to decide the level of closeness with other people.
Children and the coronavirus
Another point is that of the affectation of children and young people by the new coronavirus.
While the vast majority understand that - although it is true that they also get sick and sometimes get complicated - above all they serve as vectors to carry the virus home.
The minority believe that children and young people are simply immune to the disease.
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Hydroxychloroquine
Another point is that which refers to the usefulness of the drug hydroxychloroquine in the management of the infection.
While the majority accept the science and have found that studies have shown that it does not help prevent this disease or prevent complications, the minority think that it does work and that studies that say it does not are politicized.
Herd immunity
Another element of division is that which refers to the so-called "group or herd immunity or protection", which is one that says that 60 to 70% of the population must suffer from the disease to achieve protection for all.
Most understand that protection must be achieved with a vaccine and not letting everyone get sick on purpose.
But the minority believe that this should be the way things should be done, regardless of the deaths that occur.
The aftermath of the disease
Another point is the one that refers to the aftermath of covid-19.
While the majority accept, as we described in the September 3 episode, that there are persistent and chronic sequelae of COVID-19 that must be studied and addressed, the minority simply believe that they do not exist.
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What we know about the aftermath of covid-19
The number of confirmed cases
Another issue has to do with the number of cases that are reported.
While the majority are aware that these cases represent real infections, discovered through testing, the minority believe that those numbers are inflated and that the population should not be tested.
According to them, the more tests are done, the more cases are found.
The doubt about the existence of covid-19
As incredible as it may seem, the number of deaths caused by the disease is also the cause of apparent controversy.
While the vast majority mourn the deaths, who have exceeded one million in the world, the minority believe that these people were going to die anyway, and that the true deaths from covid-19 are very few.
The coronavirus vaccine
The vaccine is also a reason for apparent controversy.
While most think that it is a very important strategy to get out of the problem, others think that it is not necessary and that they would not use it at all.
And finally, the very existence of covid-19 is controversial.
While the vast majority know that the virus and the disease it causes are real, the minority believe that it is a falsehood invented by some hidden power.
It is incredible, it seems that instead of uniting the thoughts of humanity around the truth, the globalized and hyper-connected world is dividing us more and more every day.
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Do you have questions about the coronavirus?
Send me your questions on Twitter, we will try to answer them in our next episodes.
You can find me at @DrHuerta.
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Thanks for your attention.
If you have any questions you can send them to Dr. Elmer Huerta via Twitter. You can also head over to CNNE.com/coronaviruspodcast for all episodes of our “Coronavirus: Reality vs. Reality” podcast. fiction".
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