Can Coronavirus Be Transmitted Through Sweat? Allegheny Health Network Doctor Answers Questions About COVID-19
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- KDKA's Kristine Sorensen talked to Dr. Arvind Venkat, an emergency physician at Allegheny Health Network, about coronavirus now that restrictions are being lifted.
Here is their edited conversation.
Sorensen: Will gloves help keep people safe from getting coronavirus?
Dr. Arvind: I don't know that gloves are that effective because it can give you a false sense of security in terms of touching surfaces. And then not touching your face or eyes and nose. What we really need to do is to be very systematic about washing our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and consciously avoiding touching our faces.
Sorensen: Since we're heading into summer, can the virus be transmitted through sweat?
Dr. Venkat: I'm not aware of any studies that talk about transmission via sweat. Everything seems to be from droplets related to coughing or sneezing or even speaking and the fit that all of us sometimes produces. So that's not a mode of transmission that I'm aware of.
Sorensen: If people feel like they need to see the doctor but they've been holding off, or maybe they feel like they're having an emergency like a heart attack, what should people do?
Dr. Venkat: People in those circumstances should absolutely seek care. If you feel like you're having a heart attack or a stroke or other emergency, you should go to your nearest emergency department or call 911 to get the care you need. One of the great concerns we have in the emergency medicine community is that people are staying at home. But heart attacks and strokes and other emergency conditions still happen. And if people don't seek care, then the consequences can be quite severe.
