# Well Known Virologist's Letter To Colleagues About COVID-19



## OneEyedDiva (Mar 8, 2020)

Someone shared this on another networking site I belong to. Having known this person for many years, I trust her and it was sent to her by someone she trusts. I "Googled" and "Wiki-ed" the doctor. Dr. Robb is the real deal. This is long but SO important and well worth reading: My friend wrote: "One of our extended family members received an email from a colleague at Stanford which forwarded him an email from James Robb, MD, FCAP, UCSD Dept of Pathology. I request that everyone read this. I have included the full text below."
"Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.
The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain an infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.
Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land is infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges are one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.
I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of us!"


----------



## Sassycakes (Mar 8, 2020)

Thank You for sharing this with us.


----------



## Sunny (Mar 9, 2020)

Interesting to read, but sounds a bit hysterical to me. This is a flu-type virus, for pete's sake, it's not smallpox!


----------



## Geezerette (Mar 9, 2020)

Ok. But can’t help but wonder if he owns stock in that zinc lozenges co. Never saw a scientist recommend a specific brand of anything. My health plan related gym had always provided “alcohol free” hand san since some folks are sensitive to alcohol.


----------



## Judycat (Mar 9, 2020)

Good Lord.  Then don't forget to use a new glove to pull off and throw away the glove you just used then throw away the new glove too, then use a new glove to open your hand sanitizer and throw the glove and bottle away and gah la ha hoo boo loo doooo....


----------



## CarolfromTX (Mar 9, 2020)

This sounds hysterical, and just what someone would say if they intended to start a panic. It's not the Black Plague. There is no hand sanitizer left anywhere in Walmart. Maybe people are bathing in the stuff? Get a grip people.


----------



## Becky1951 (Mar 9, 2020)

Bathing in it LOL. I wouldn't want to put my bare fanny in a tub of it. It contains alcohol LOL. Ouch!


----------



## StarSong (Mar 10, 2020)

A friend forwarded this to me about 10 days ago.  There are some good suggestions here, including the information about the gas pumps.  Yes, I did put latex gloves in my car for when I fill up the tank.  

Like a lot of others, I find zinc lozenges make me sick to my stomach.

My husband and I are both retired and it's only the two of us in this house. We've now adopted the habit of washing our hands frequently and thoroughly numerous times a day, and especially when returning from public places or after putting away purchases.

We have a small amount of sanitizing gel that we're mostly using when we get into the car after shopping, banking, etc.

p.s. Here's a great little video explaining the best way to remove latex/nitrile gloves.


----------



## OneEyedDiva (Mar 10, 2020)

Judycat said:


> Good Lord.  Then don't forget to use a new glove to pull off and throw away the glove you just used then throw away the new glove too, then use a new glove to open your hand sanitizer and throw the glove and bottle away and gah la ha hoo boo loo doooo....


Judy...I'm somewhat a germaphobe and I was thinking the same thing (about the gloves).  TOO funny!


----------



## Judycat (Mar 10, 2020)

We'll all have OCD before this is over.


----------



## AnnieA (Mar 10, 2020)

Thanks, @OneEyedDiva! Very informative!

My short stint as a microbiology PhD student helped me know from the get-go that this was going to be bad. And it wasn't so much what I learned through academics in that short period of time as it was working with a lot of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals.  They were great to work with until it got to the point that something went wrong ... they culturally hate to admit failure.  So when I heard China placed 11 million people under quarantine for '26' deaths, that was an "Oh, shit" moment for me immediately.  Compounding the seriousness was that the actions were not only something that the Chinese culturally hate to do, but also that it was coming from Communist leaders of an emerging economic powerhouse.  Nothing I've learned since has lessened my initial fears.

The greatest thing exacerbating my fears is that a large number of Americans just don't get it.  I've actually seen people on fb posting that it's a media concocted scare due to our election year.   Besides the crises in Asian nations, Italy has the whole country on lockdown,  Saudia Arabia has prohibited pilgrimages to Mecca, Israel is quarantining anyone entering the country ...but that's all because of the US election year somehow...  That egocentrism is beyond embarrassing and leads me to fear denial nuts are going to ignore recommendations to avoid crowds, self-quarantine  etc and make this worse that it has to be.  Even if everyone were to follow sensible precautions, it would still be bad, but the head-in-the-sand people are going to blow up the spread. And some people who are engaging in safe practices will die because of those who don't.


----------



## oldman (Mar 10, 2020)

I wish I was listening closer this morning to the radio talk show on the radio, but someone on that show stated the following; “This is a terrible disease, but it is manageable.”

My question to that is, “How does this person know?”


----------



## Becky1951 (Mar 10, 2020)

"And some people who are engaging in safe practices will die because of those who don't."

Exactly! I've read comments on social media saying if its my time to die oh well, I'm still going on that cruise. Or I'm still getting my nails done and going to the casino this is all just media hype. Fact is they could very well be the cause of it spreading it to others and the indirect cause of others dying. This virus can live on some objects up to nine days. If someone touches an object that its on and then lets say they meet friends for lunch or whatever, those friends have been exposed and go home to possibly give it to their elderly parent or relative.


----------



## AnnieA (Mar 10, 2020)

oldman said:


> I wish I was listening closer this morning to the radio talk show on the radio, but someone on that show stated the following; “This is a terrible disease, but it is manageable.



I think the US has flubbed manageable by our testing failure and by dangerously contradictory (some flat out delusional lies) statements from on high.


----------



## OneEyedDiva (Mar 10, 2020)

AnnieA said:


> Thanks, @OneEyedDiva! Very informative!
> 
> My short stint as a microbiology PhD student helped me know from the get-go that this was going to be bad. And it wasn't so much what I learned through academics in that short period of time as it was working with a lot of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals.  They were great to work with until it got to the point that something went wrong ... they culturally hate to admit failure.  So when I heard China placed 11 million people under quarantine for '26' deaths, that was an "Oh, shit" moment for me immediately.  Compounding the seriousness was that the actions were not only something that the Chinese culturally hate to do, but also that it was coming from Communist leaders of an emerging economic powerhouse.  Nothing I've learned since has lessened my initial fears.
> 
> *The greatest thing exacerbating my fears is that a large number of Americans just don't get it.* I've actually seen people on fb posting that it's a media concocted scare due to our election year.   Besides the crises in Asian nations, Italy has the whole country on lockdown,  Saudia Arabia has prohibited pilgrimages to Mecca, Israel is quarantining anyone entering the country ...but that's all because of the US election year somehow...  That egocentrism is beyond embarrassing and leads me to fear denial nuts are going to ignore recommendations to avoid crowds, self-quarantine  etc and make this worse that it has to be.  Even if everyone were to follow sensible precautions, it would still be bad, but the head-in-the-sand people are going to blow up the spread. And some people who are engaging in safe practices will die because of those who don't.


From interactions I've had with some here, I know your sentence that I've "bolded" to be true. I saw on the news that one official (can't remember if it was NY's Gov. Cuomo) said the people who aren't worried about getting it are the ones that got it.  Well, if people are taking a nonchalant attitude about it, that makes sense. And why do they confuse being concerned and careful with panicking?! The ones who are mocking the seriousness won't be doing so when it's them or their families that have to endure being quarantined. I posted on FB about a week ago "This "ish" just got real people!"  As a former Disease Intervention Specialist, I could see the worst coming like you did. Just glad I'm no longer working because I have no doubt the state would put our team on these cases.


----------



## Judycat (Mar 10, 2020)

You can take all the precautions but as long as elementary schools remain open the virus will continue to spread among families. Virologists are talking about the damn thing seeding without the vector showing symptoms.  Three months until school is out for the summer. Gloves and hand sanitizer are suggestions to quell panic by giving us something to do. It is going to spread regardless.


----------



## StarSong (Mar 11, 2020)

OneEyedDiva said:


> From interactions I've had with some here, I know your sentence that I've "bolded" to be true. I saw on the news that one official (can't remember if it was NY's Gov. Cuomo) said *the people who aren't worried about getting it are the ones that got it. * Well, if people are taking a nonchalant attitude about it, that makes sense. And why do they confuse being concerned and careful with panicking?! The ones who are mocking the seriousness won't be doing so when it's them or their families that have to endure being quarantined. I posted on FB about a week ago "This "ish" just got real people!"  As a former Disease Intervention Specialist, I could see the worst coming like you did. Just glad I'm no longer working because I have no doubt the state would put our team on these cases.



I'd interpret that as, _It's too late to worry about getting infected if you've already got it. (Those people now have much bigger worries.)
All others should be worried. _

That's how I read it.


----------



## StarSong (Mar 11, 2020)

AnnieA said:


> Thanks, @OneEyedDiva! Very informative!
> 
> My short stint as a microbiology PhD student helped me know from the get-go that this was going to be bad. And it wasn't so much what I learned through academics in that short period of time as it was working with a lot of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals.  They were great to work with until it got to the point that something went wrong ... they culturally hate to admit failure.  So when I heard China placed 11 million people under quarantine for '26' deaths, that was an "Oh, shit" moment for me immediately.  Compounding the seriousness was that the actions were not only something that the Chinese culturally hate to do, but also that it was coming from Communist leaders of an emerging economic powerhouse.  Nothing I've learned since has lessened my initial fears.



As a west coaster who's worked with Chinese immigrants since the mid-70s, plus hosted two Chinese high school students for two years each, I can attest to what you're saying about their cultural attitudes toward weakness and failure (or what they think would be perceived as such). 

From the get-go, I believed the Chinese govt delayed and underreported their statistics. It's part of their cultural DNA to minimize that which would make them appear vulnerable before the world.


----------



## toffee (Mar 11, 2020)

now I wont sleep ---


----------



## Lc jones (Mar 12, 2020)

Becky1951 said:


> "And some people who are engaging in safe practices will die because of those who don't."
> 
> Exactly! I've read comments on social media saying if its my time to die oh well, I'm still going on that cruise. Or I'm still getting my nails done and going to the casino this is all just media hype. Fact is they could very well be the cause of it spreading it to others and the indirect cause of others dying. This virus can live on some objects up to nine days. If someone touches an object that its on and then lets say they meet friends for lunch or whatever, those friends have been exposed and go home to possibly give it to their elderly parent or relative.



That is what gets me, irresponsible  people subject the responsible folks to the virus due to their lack of care/responsible behavior, I hope they’re held legally responsible if something does happen...


----------

