Thread by @DearPandemic

1/ Q: How is it possible that my friends are social distancing & yet have colds??

A: The interventions we use to reduce #COVID19 transmission--such as wearing masks, improving ventilation, & keeping physical distance from other people--don’t target the common #cold as well.

2/ Unlike the virus that causes #COVIDー19, which is transmitted through sharing air with infected people, most of the many viruses that cause the common cold--called rhinoviruses--love to hang around on surfaces.

3/ Especially in settings where a lot of children congregate, surfaces can become highly contaminated & dirty hands spread the common cold very effectively. All it takes is one dirty hand on one sandwich.

4/ Some of the viruses that cause the common cold can last on surfaces for a *very* long time, & are harder to kill with soap/hand sanitizer. In fact, adenoviruses can last for up to 3 MONTHS on surfaces, & in special circumstances maybe even longer!!

5/ Here's a fun case example of just how durable these nasties can be: in 1969, 12 men overwintered at a base in Antarctica. After 17 weeks of complete isolation from the rest of the world in the middle of a South Pole winter, 6 of the men developed symptoms of the common cold.

6/ One theory is that the extreme cold, dry weather acted like a deep-freezer for a virus that was lingering on some surface long after the mission’s last contact with the rest of the world. Eventually, one of the men touched that surface & then touched his nose/mouth.

7/ What can we do?

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap & water, using plenty of friction & making sure to get all the surfaces of your hands! Here is a video demo on how to wash hands featuring our very own Dr. Aparna.