How can I get a face mask? The State answers your SC coronavirus questions

South Carolinians have a lot of questions about the coronavirus as it continues to move through the state. More than 2,500 people have contracted the disease statewide, and 63 people have died from COVID-19 as of Wednesday. A disproportionate number of those deaths have been African-American.

The effects of the disease have gone beyond health concerns. Close to 200,000 people have filed for unemployment since the outbreak hit the Palmetto State, and Gov. Henry McMaster has imposed a statewide “work or home” order to restrict residents’ movements to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Here are the questions readers of The State are asking about the pandemic.

Do you have questions about the coronavirus? The State will get the answers for you. Go to bit.ly/SCvirus and let us know what you need to know.

How can I get a face mask?

Even doctors and hospitals are asking this question, and private citizens are even making their own. N95 masks, the masks designed to filter out particles like the coronavirus, were once regularly available at hardware and drug stores, but many businesses are now facing shortages.

There are now a wealth of online tutorials that will tell you how to make your own mask out of assorted materials, but Dr. Michael Schmidt at the Medical University of South Carolina warns that most cloth masks are worn to stop the wearer from spreading the disease to others, not to protect you from getting the virus.

How do you protect other family members when one gets the virus and you are all in the same house?

If at all possible, segregate the sick person in one part of the house behind a closed door. Leave their meals outside the door and then wash the dishes as thoroughly as possible. And then of course, wash your hands again.

When will a test be available to see if I already have antibodies in my blood meaning I already had the coronavirus and can get back to work?

The FDA has cleared tests for coronavirus antibodies, and testing is being ramped up in some places. Health care workers will likely be first in line to ensure they have the antibodies and can return to work without being able to contract and spread the disease.

Schmidt, at MUSC, says the tests will likely become more widely available in the next two weeks to a month.

If people die in a nursing facility from pneumonia, how do you know if it was the virus or not?

An autopsy can show if a person has died from the virus. Schmidt says x-rays of the lungs can show the difference between coronavirus or pneumonia based on the disease’s effects. Anyone who passes away under suspicious circumstances right now is likely to be tested for the disease postmortem.

Will 3% hydrogen peroxide sprayed on a face mask, hard surface, hands or porous material kill the coronavirus? If so, how long does it take?

“I call these oxygen grenades,” Schmidt said of hydrogen peroxide. “It depends on freshness. That depends on if you have a lot of grenades or not enough.”

The cleaning agent should break down the virus on any surface if left to dry for 10 to 20 minutes.

“Drying time is dying time,” Schmidt said.

Can I get retroactively tested for the coronavirus?

Yes, but it depends on the availability of the test. Antibodies to a virus develop around seven-to-10 days after someone contracts the disease, and remain behind in the patient’s bloodstream after they recover. Identifying them may help scientists tracking the disease better understand how fatal the disease is, how widespread it is, and when the outbreak may begin to tapper off, said Michael Schmidt, a microbiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina.

A team at Harvard University is working to develop more of the tests needed to find the antibodies, which Schmidt compares to a home pregnancy test — place a blood sample on a strip, and it can positively identify the presence of antibodies.

Will a rise in humidity stop the spread of the disease?

Possibly. If the particles you sneeze or cough out encounter more moisture in the air, it will get heavier and fall to the ground more quickly, offering some hope that warmer South Carolina weather could slow the spread of the disease.

But even then, the disease can still spread if you come into contact with coronavirus particles after they land on a surface, where it can live for 72 to 96 hours. So keep washing your hands.

My husband works in a landfill. Can he become infected from handling waste?

While sanitation workers do face some unique health risks from their work, they are no more likely to come into contact with the virus on waste than any other surface they might touch.

“If anything, they are more likely to have hand sanitizer on them, and to wash their hands regularly,” Schmidt said.

Can my teenager be tested for coronavirus?

While younger people tend to have a milder reaction to coronavirus, there’s no age restriction on getting the test, or at what age testing for the virus will be effective.

Should I worry about exposure from my take-out food?

“The fries might be tempting, but don’t eat them out of the bag until you have a chance to get home and wash your hands,” Schmidt, the MUSC microbologist, said.

Is it safe for me to spend time with my elderly mother?

It’s probably best to keep your distance from older relatives now. You don’t know where you might have encountered the virus, and even a person with no symptoms could spread the disease to others — and the elderly can be especially vulnerable.

Should healthy people refrain from outdoor activities such as jogging, walking, hiking, fishing, hunting, boating, or even a Sunday drive?

It’s fine to get out of the house, as long as you practice social distancing from other people and wash your hands after contact with potentially infected surfaces.

When will the disease peak in South Carolina?

That’s a question scientists, doctors and government officials are asking, as the number of infections continued to rise this week, with no end in sight.

“It’s not a satisfying answer, but we just don’t know,” Schmidt said, “and it will require more testing for us to better understand.”

Why does CDC have to confirm all coronavirus tests?

Since COVID-19 is a novel virus — meaning it had never been seen in humans before this outbreak — the kits for testing the virus are also new. Because of that, extensive data about the tests’ accuracy is not available, like there is with other infectious diseases, said Linda Bell, an epidemiologist for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Will officials say when a coronavirus patient moves from one hospital to another?

No. DHEC does not release that information for two reasons, the department said. One, that information is protected personal medical information, and two, releasing that information would dissuade coronavirus patients from sharing information with officials who are trying to find with whom the patient had contact in recent days, Renwick said.

What happens when someone at a business tests positive for coronavirus? Does the company have to close?

That depends, DHEC said. While DHEC and CDC have released guidelines for how businesses should respond to coronavirus, there is not one hard-and-fast rule that requires businesses to close if an employee tests positive, Renwick said.

Why are hospitals using different protection devices and different methods to screen patients?

Existing guidelines call for any patient with “respiratory symptoms” to be given a mask and isolated in a room until he or she can be examined by a medical professional, Renwick said.

Can I get a full refund for a trip I booked on Airbnb?

On March 14, Airbnb announced it was updating coverage of its extenuating circumstances policy to cover COVID-19. Under the new policy, all reservations made on or before March 14 with a check-in date between March 14 and April 14 will be fully refunded if canceled, including fees, at any time before check-in. If you made the reservation after March 14 or the check-in date is after April 14 (even if the reservation was made before March 14), the policy will not apply unless the host or guests contract COVID-19.

If your trip or stay is not covered under the extenuating circumstances policy, then cancellations are subject to the host’s policy, which can vary. To find your host’s cancellation policy, scroll down towards the bottom of the listing, next to the “Things You Need to Know” section. If you’ve made a reservation, you can also contact the host to discuss cancellations and refunds.

Where can I get tested?

People can get tested at doctors offices or — if the patient is having shortness of breath and increased heart rate — the emergency room.

If you aren’t sure you need to be tested, the Medical University of South Carolina and Prisma Health are offering free, online access to a medical expert for screening to help determine whether you should be tested for the virus.

The State put together a separate Q&A for coronavirus testing available here.

Is there an ongoing, updated site tracking the number of tests performed each day in S.C.?

Yes. An updated number of both negative and presumptive positive tests can be found on the website of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

I’m going on a cruise next month. Is it safe?

The U.S. State Department is discouraging U.S. citizens from traveling on cruise ships due to increased risk of COVID-19 infection, especially for people with underlying health conditions.

The CDC has said those with underlying conditions should avoid any non-essential travel that might put them at risk of contracting the disease and discuss possible cruises with a doctor. The virus can be more dangerous for older people and those with preexisting heart or lung conditions, smokers and patients suffering from diabetes, said Michael Schmidt, a microbiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Can the flu shot prevent coronavirus?

Probably not, since they’re two different conditions. But it’s unclear if you can get COVID-19 and the regular flu at the same time, so it’s a good idea to get a flu shot if you haven’t already. At least then doctors are less likely to mistake COVID-19 symptoms for the common flu.

Why is diabetes considered a risky condition for people getting COVID-19?

It’s unclear why diabetes is correlated with poor outcomes of a coronavirus infection. But diabetes can compromise the immune system, which makes contracting COVID-19 more dangerous.

“If your diabetes is under control, you should be at the same level of risk as everyone else,” Schmidt said.

What supplies do I need in case I get sick?

While face masks have become a hot item since coronavirus cases reached the United States, doctors emphasize they won’t do any good for anyone who isn’t already sick and actively coughing, and buying masks makes it less likely medical personnel will be able to get them.

“The general public should not be going out and buying masks,” Nolan said.

In general, people don’t need any more than they would any other time they get sick, and anyone who does get sick simply needs to isolate themselves for a few days.

“Don’t run out to buy alcohol and hand gels,” Schmidt said. “If you’ve got soap and water at home, you’re fine.”

Should I reschedule an elective surgery to avoid coronavirus?

That’s a decision you should make after speaking to your doctor. But “if you do have a surgery scheduled, it’s for a medical reason,” Schmidt said.

Is there any danger in receiving packages from China?

Probably not. Scientists don’t yet have a lot of data on COVID-19, but other viruses similar to it — namely, SARS and MERS — tend to not last very long on surfaces.

“Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods,” according to the CDC’s website.

What is the criteria to be tested?

Anybody with a doctor’s order can be tested for coronavirus, according to the Washington Post. Previously, officials had guidelines that included factors such as recent travel abroad. But on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence changed that guidance, allowing tests for anyone in whom doctors identify symptoms.

What is the average recovery time for people who get infected?

If the virus presents like a normal flu, it could take between seven and 10 days to fully recover. But Schmidt, the MUSC microbiologist, said it’s difficult to say because we don’t have good data on the outbreak so far.

“We don’t know how many asymptomatic infections there are,” Schmidt said, referring to patients who may not show symptoms of the coronavirus but still carry the virus. “Until we look back retroactively, we won’t know the true number of cases.”

This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 9:18 AM.