Corona Virus Update - Dr James Gill on Phil Upton Show - BBC CWR Interview 12/03/2020 -

this morning every morning on this program we're trying to put your mind at ease by getting your questions on the coronavirus answered dr. James Kiehl is a regular on this program reviews the papers you hear only last week James good to see you back here this morning but obviously on this issue specifically this morning here to give us the facts and first of all just your thoughts I think before we get into questions from the from the audience your thoughts on how this story is a is evolving and it does it does a feel like there isn't it we're going to another stage of preparedness for this virus well absolutely I mean we've had that containing just trying to stop its spreading we've said that that's probably not work now so the delays gone over as you said about trying to reduce the peak and a good way of looking at that it's actually the toilet rolls that everyone's been taking but if everyone goes and buys one toilet roll all at the same time there's not available and you've got a massive peak whereas if actually we're a little bit karma and we occasionally go and buy our toilet rolls yeah there's still a large need but we can supply them and that peak that number of cases or toilet rolls in this case gets spread around so it's not quite as worrying overall so this is this is specifically done so that the Health Service which we know you know is pressed at the best of times can cope better with any demand it will have on acute beds so certainly you know we're gonna be hearing a lot more I would've thought wouldn't we in the community with the elderly or one of those our most vulnerable groups when it comes to the the corona virus this announcement really if he does come is it meant to scare or get people worried it's effectively saying look we are in control of this we can see what can happen and we can take the measures now to make sure that we should try and suppress that that peak you spoken off absolutely I think you're completely right with that that by moving to the stage we're saying right we're not letting this run out of hand we're taking all the evidence we've had from China from Italy we're using that to work out what's the best approach and we don't know everything and that's the been the main thing so a lot of what we're seeing in the news is discussion one person says this and another expert says that this is a new virus it didn't exist in humans before December so we are taking one step at a time and I think it's important that we react appropriately carefully and at the end of the day if we've gone off the deep end and in three weeks time nothing has happened will actually consider that a win better to be safe than sorry absolutely let's get to some of your questions please and thanks very much indeed for these eight one travel three start you text with cwr this morning please first question for you Jeff is it scare mongering or is it not as bad as people think is it just flu blown out of proportion good question that and you hear that quite a lot don't you if you surf around on social media so you loads of stats at say you know norovirus claims this live winter flu claims is amount of lives and coronavirus has only claimed so far in this country eight lives is it scare mongering is it just a badder or a worser case of flu or should we be more concerned about it's not it's about being prepared and making sure we know what's coming flu has much worse numbers so if you look at America there were 45 million cases of flu last year and there were approximately half a million deaths due to flu last year in the u.s. we've got hundred thousand cases worldwide of Corona the problem is corona virus is much more effective than the fluids so we want people to know about this but people move very slowly think how long in it we've been talking about this but when did you actually start to change your process of washing your hands making sure you you know you properly disinfecting and things like them we need to make sure the information is out there so we get that small small changes that people can do to protect themselves ok next question for you over my daughter has asthma is she at high risk good question we've heard about the underlying health reasons for the for the deaths so far should ask Mattox be worried I think we've seen this a huge amount but the vast majority of people don't have a lot to be worried about coronavirus if you do get it it will be very mild or even a moderate cold but a lot of people are worried about people that they know more the elderly are a problem specifically specifically to that lady's question we've actually been very very lucky with children so far if we look at the cases that have come from China so that's where we've got the biggest data a minute there have been very very few I mean the CDC even described it as very rare children cases and if so there be mild however obviously this lady here is worried about an asthma and we know that all of the deaths that we've had and all of the people who are sicker have had other health complications now the chaplets died at a time so the person who's died at George Eliot and Leslie I'll honk out to that family the crucial thing in the reports there's that patient had a lot of other comorbidities they had other health problems and that's where the risk is coming for the elderly if you've got aspirin things like that it's something to be aware of it's something to be cautious of but particularly if you're younger I wouldn't be too concerned to make sure you're doing the simple things washing your hands following the simple NHS you know catch it kill it Bennett coughing into your arms getting a hankie my girlfriend the other day actually you know gave me a proper in a material hanky so I'm not get rid and I was going through the wash every day yeah there's simple things I carry one of those that's well well we're thinking about James hang in there we'll come back in 10 minutes or so and get some more questions answered a new Vin Diesel superhero gets released this weekend we'll hear what James thinks about those before 9 from James Luxford to dr. James Kiehl back with us in the studio this morning James thanks for doing this it's an epidemic of James it is everywhere you turn you're like a James virus and it's a good one happy to have you here this morning and really appreciate you doing this answering your questions on the coronavirus this morning with the government expected at cabinet emergency cobra meeting today to talk about moving them to the next stage of preparedness for the corona virus having tried to contain it for so long the government will today move to the delay phase this is where you're effectively trying to delay the peak of the virus so actually less people contract it and by making measures maybe like closing schools stopping people from going into work you've got even the mildest of symptoms you then hold off the peak of the disease to potentially to the summer when as you were just saying to me James Gill the sunshine the we'll kill off the virus absolutely sirs we're currently doing a lot of research on how the virus works and there's lots of stuff we don't know if you can get some situations where the virus can live on what are called fomites our tables chairs and stuff like that for up to nine days but in most situations realistically it's going to be killed in hours to a day or so and particularly if you just wipe the surfaces down with simple wipes he's gonna die in a minute so it from that side of things it's again about that personal hygiene you don't even have to rush out and buy antibacterial soap straight for bar soap might your Gran's got that will seriously the big thing absolutely wash your hands really okay good to hear and a good message to keep repeating and result to try and understand lots of you got in touch with you questions about the corona virus here's another one for you is it likely in the future that daycare centers would be limited to the amount of visitors that the scene it's a good point isn't it what will happen to day centers do you think now we're as you said we're now moving to the delay phase so the advice may change the minute there's a suggestion that decade day centers smaller gatherings we're going to begin to discourage and we're going to look more to that social distancing so at the minute I'm safe from you because we're about two meters away to things like that this is something that spread through droplets it is not airborne okay so you've got if someone is affected then you know they need to be coughing and spluttering and they've got a risk area you know blast zone if you will about two meters around them if you walk down the street and something you know you pass somebody the likelihood of you being affected by that is very low and that's why we're also not advising face masks and things like that face masks may be the one of the worst things that you could do so most people don't wear them properly okay and as a result we touch our face about a hundred times a day I've just done it now anyway you've touched a table that someone hasn't washed their hands and touch you could then put that on your face if you've got a face mask on that's not properly fitted anyway you're gonna keep moving it around it may increase how much you're touching your face now people who do have the virus or have symptoms then a face mask is are definitely a sensible thing because they can stop it spreading to others but that face mask just walking around the community will not protect you and might make it worse got a text message from Barbara and in stone she says chemists if they have to close what would people like me or on a different medication regular medication nothing to do with the coronavirus how would we get our mates I've got definitely essential you've touched the table that someone hasn't washed their hands and touch you could then put that on your face if you've got a face mask on it's not properly fitted anyway you're gonna keep moving it around it may increase how much you're touching your face now people who do have the virus or have symptoms then a face mask is are definitely a sensible thing because they can stop it spreading to others but that face mask just walking around the community will not protect you and might make it worse got a text message from Barbara in Stowe she says chemists if they have to close what would people like me or on a different medication regular medication nothing to do with coronavirus how would we get our meds I've got a regular heartbeat I'm 83 years of age am I going to be okay since Barbara so clearly she's really anxious into you absolutely and that that's a big thing we're trying so hard to do with the anxiety at the minute with people and that that's actually you know at the moment is causing more harm to people horrible than a virus you know because it's not affecting many people at one minute but am sabores question though don't worry I personally think the chances of the pharmacies closing because that will be one of the essential things is next and you know 0 but let's go down the worst-case scenario even if they do say we're not gonna let you come in front door most pharmacies deliver medications anyway to people's homes so if you're taking regular medication you will get your medication there's no need to stop my stockpile and just do the same as you're doing a minute put in your regular descriptions you'll get it find out Barbara you'll get it don't worry ok nothing to worry about there big question for many people in cars on school runs this morning have a listen it is awake in the school and my question is should schools remain open so lot of teachers gonna be asking about that that would be arm imagining James one of the one of the things that will be discussed at this Cobra emergency meeting today absolutely so I can't give an absolute on that if we look back to China because it came out there first that's where a huge amount of you know focus research was done there's not been much evidence to suggest that the spread from children to adults and things like that all of the hot spots all the cases where you got it were in household so somebody will bring it in and then it would spread in the household it wasn't so much coming from gatherings and things like them but as we've said social distancing you have gatherings there's an increased risk of things spreading so at the moment probably not going to stop close down the schools etc but it's something that might change okay James good to see you again thank you for taking the time thank you very sure dr. James Kiehl we've got your questions answered on the coronavirus and will of course keep you two in touch throughout the day on BBC CW or the outcome of that cabinet cobra emergency meeting at lunchtime you