Doctors say there are a lot of reasons people could have shortness of breath.

"People who have emphysema, people who have COPD, have trouble holding their breath. So it’s not a diagnostic tool." - Dr. Derrick DeSilva, internal medicine.

Dr. DeSilva says being able to hold your breath doesn't clear you of having COVID-19 either.

"Look. I can hold my breath. But what if I was exposed yesterday?  And the symptoms are not manifesting right now?" - Dr. DeSilva

It’s understandable why people want to believe the coronavirus is less contagious than flu, but the evidence just doesn’t support that. When someone has the flu, they typically infect about one other person on average. People with COVID-19 typically infect 2.5 people.

"We don’t have a drug right now to cure the coronavirus." - Dr. Adimoolam 

Chloroquine, a malaria medication, has showed promise in an early trial. But Dr. Adimoolam says medications like chloroquine should only be considered if a patient is very sick and warns not to try them for prevention.

"These things are very strong. They have a lot of dangerous side effects." - Dr. Adimoolam 

"I would not even go close to doing that with bleach. That’s just dumb. You’re going to hurt yourself. You want to damage your lungs? Get involved with bleach. Because that is what is going to damage your lungs. So please – don’t be crazy." - Dr. DeSilva

Dr. DeSilva says there's a better and safer way to kill the coronavirus if it's on your skin: soap and water.

"Viruses have that fatty coat on the outside and soaps break the fat, which will destroy the virus." - Dr. DeSilva

 

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