Common Myths About The New Coronavirus, Debunked By An Expert

Almost as quickly as coronavirus is spreading, information about the infection is also spreading. But unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation circulating, too.

While the bulk of severe cases have affected adults, that does not mean children are immune to the virus. "There are four kinds of coronavirus," Adalja said. "We know children can be infected with those and have very mild symptoms," Adalja said.

According to Adalja, it's hard to make that kind of distinction so early on. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for testing1 require patients to have lower respiratory infections and symptoms like coughs and shortness of breath. 

"They're not just testing people with a runny nose," he said. "I think once they start doing that, they will find the coronavirus is much more widespread but much more mild than we think." 

Thankfully, coronavirus is one of the few items Amazon can't ship. 

As with all viruses, there's a lengthy period of time the germs can survive on surfaces, "but that's really dependent on the environmental conditions in terms of humidity, temperature, and UV light exposure," he said. The days-long journey a package would undergo would likely be erratic enough to kill any pathogens linked to coronavirus. 

According to Adalja, coronaviruses can infect several types of mammals. "For example, we do know it can infect pigs, cows, bats," he said. Up to this point, though, household pets have not been a mechanism of transmission. 

Because garlic has antimicrobial properties, some people have suspected that it might protect against coronavirus. But according to Adalja, "There's not any strong evidence that garlic can protect you." 

For the average American, there's no reason to restrict your current movements. In fact, in the middle of flu season, you're much more likely to contract influenza than the coronavirus (here are some tips to avoid the flu). 

"It's important that people keep their risk perspective straight," he said. According to the World Health Organization, 82% of cases are mild. "I think that really should reassure people that although this virus might come here and have an impact, it's likely not going to be catastrophic."