DEAR Dr. Fritz,
I am quite apprehensive nowadays because it seems that the incidence of Covid-19 is by more than a hundred cases every day here in Davao City. You see, every day, we have to go out for our livelihood. We really don’t know that as we go out to the world, we get into contact with the virus. We cannot go out normally in full battle PPE (personal protective equipment). So, I just wanted to ask how many hours does the coronavirus survive in our skin.
God bless.
Jovee B. of Davao City
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Dear Jovee B. of Davao City,
Yes, you are right. We all cannot go out on PPE. A new study revealed that Covid-19 survives for more than nine hours in the human skin if left undisturbed. This study was conducted in laboratory experiments using cadaver skin that would have been used for skin grafts. They found out that while influenza A virus survived less than two hours on human skin, Covid-19 survived for more than nine hours. The good news is, both were completely inactivated within 15 seconds by hand sanitizer containing 80 percent alcohol.
Thus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of alcohol-based hand rubs with 60 percent to 95 percent alcohol or washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. So, it is wise to bring alcohol with you every day as you go out and explore the world. You don’t know when and where the virus gets into you – except if you have the sense of smell of dogs. Well, according to a French-Lebanese research team, dogs can detect Covid-19 in almost 100 percent of cases after smelling human sweat. I love this. SWAB TESTING can take us a week or more to get the result. PCR-rapid testing has only about 30 percent accuracy.
Dr. Fritz
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Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She is the co-host of the digital page of Superbalita. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, "Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz." For your questions, you may email them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don't wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)