I'm Liz, plus, sir, and I am the editor in chief of Women's Health Way. All have so many questions about the novel Corona virus and how it's affecting each and every one of us. So today we're going to talk to a doctor to get the most factual, accurate information possible. Let's meet our expert. My name is Dr Kerry Petersen. I'm a primary care physician and I practice internal medicine in New York City. I am someone who takes care of patients for all of their needs. They call me with any concerns and questions, and certainly during this very scary time, I am here for people. Thio provide advice and guidance. How to manage 90. What exactly is the novel Corona virus? The new Corona virus is a Corona virus that has never been identified before. We're seen in humans that causes respiratory illness. It was first identified in Wuhan, China, and we believe that it came from a live animal market and spread from animals to people. It seems like new research and studies come out almost daily about how it's spreading. What do we know right now about have a novel Corona virus spreads covert 19 seems to spread very easily between people, particularly when you are standing in close proximity, which is within six feet of each other. It's thought to spread through respiratory droplets. When someone coughs or sneezes, those droplets become airborne, and if someone else inhales those droplets, they can become infected as well. Scientists are learning more and more about what the most common symptoms are of the novel Corona virus. How long it lasts. That's what everyone is wondering right now. Do I possibly have it? Can you share more about what to look out for? Symptoms of covert 19 range from mild symptoms to severe symptoms and include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Mild illness typically lasts two weeks, while severe illness Congar O on 23 to 6 weeks, The Corona virus can cause much more severe symptoms, including pneumonia and severe lung damage. A question we hear all the time from our readers. Is there a cure? Is there one coming soon? There is no cure for the novel Corona virus. Antibiotics do not work because Corona virus is a virus and antibiotics only work for bacteria. So really, the only options are for symptom relief. So, for example, if you have aches or fever, you can take acetaminophen. If you have a cough, you can take a cough syrup, and you want to be sure to get plenty of rest, and it's who's most at risk for it. There are populations that are more vulnerable to the effects of the new Corona virus. This includes older adults, people who are immuno compromised and those who have chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. Many of the women's held editors have pets like cats and dogs, and so do our readers. And they're all wondering, Can might help get the novel Corona virus. To date, the CDC has not reported any cases of the new Corona virus in pets. However, if you are infected with Covert 19 you should restrict contact with your pets until we have more information as to whether it can be transmitted to animals. So if you are sick, please have someone else in the household. Take care of your animals. I have three young Children, and most of my girlfriends have kids, too, and one of the biggest things were asking one another is how our kids being affected by this, Children don't appear to be at higher risk than adults. For those who are getting Cove in 19 they're getting milder symptoms such as runny nose fever and cough on. It is very important that you encourage your Children to take measures to prevent themselves from getting the virus by having them wash their hands very frequently. How can I keep myself and others safe? There are many measures you can take to keep yourself another safe. Be sure to wash your hands very frequently, and if you don't have access to soap and water, you can use a hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth altogether because that is how we spread germs to ourselves. You can also take measures in your home. You can clean and disinfect effect commonly touched surfaces with antiseptic wipes. And if you do need to sneeze or cough, be sure not to cough into your hands, but instead cough into a tissue and throw it out right away or cough into the inside of your elbow like this. So a phrase that's trending right now for good reason is social distancing. But everyone seems to have their own interpretation of exactly what that means. Can you set the record straight and explain it to us? Social distancing is deliberately keeping space between you and other people so that you can help prevent the spread of illness. Staying at least six feet away from others will lessen your chance of catching the cove in 19 virus. You wanna work home if possible, and avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people. Avoid eating at bars and restaurants. Use the drive through or pick up if you can, and also avoid any district discretionary travel or shopping. So really just go out for necessities, just groceries and anything at the local pharmacy. The hashtag flatten the curb has really taken off. What exactly does that mean? And what would flattening the herb actually accomplished? Flattening the curve refers to slowing the spread of the covert 19 virus so that we do not overwhelm the health care system. If a lot of people get covert 19 all at once on a graph, it would look like a tall spike Orpik. And that would overwhelm the health care hospitals by having them run out of masks, equipment and doctors. If people can take protective measures. And we even if we had the same amount of people get the virus, but over a longer period of time, the curve would then flatten out so that we would not overwhelm the health care system and we would have the capability of taking care of those who fall ill. Dr. Peterson, thank you so much for your time and for answering all of our questions. I really appreciate it.