Focus Live: Infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles answers your questions about coronavirus transmission, risk in NZ, masks and what you can do to prevent infection.
As the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide there are many Kiwis questioning how to stop the deadly virus from coming to New Zealand.
The new coronavirus strand has killed at least 362 people, with at least 17,400 cases across 27 regions.
With it still not reaching New Zealand, some Kiwis are concerned about precautions they need to take — including querying if it's safe to receive packages from China?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that while a person can carry the virus for days - or even weeks - it doesn't live long outside the body.
When the virus reaches a surface it would have a lifespan in the range of hours, CDC added.
Also, because packages go through several different environments before ending up on a doorstep, it makes the virus less likely to have survived.
Additionally, Dr Elizabeth McGraw, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University explained that cardboard boxes do not make a good breeding ground for viruses.
"What we know about these viruses is that they don't last very long on surfaces, and that's particularly the case for a very porous surface" such as cardboard, she told NPR.
Furthermore, there are no confirmed cases of the virus coming from handled packages.
Only human to human contact has been the cause of the outbreak as of now.
"There is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped" from China, the CDC writes on its website.
With it still not reaching New Zealand, some Kiwis be concerned about precautions they need to take — including querying if it's safe to receive packages from China? Photo / 123RF
Infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles told the Herald that those who have the virus are shedding it though their respiratory secretions.
"With every cough, or sneeze, you end up releasing lots of different particles in different sizes.
"The really big ones drop very quickly on to surfaces, so if you touched a surface that had a virus and that virus was still alive and you touched your face, you can get infected that way."
This can also happen when people cough into someone's eyes or mouth, she added.
Wiles said that people should use sanitiser, wash their hands frequently, try not to touch their faces and avoid people who they think may have the virus.
She added that wearing a mask is only beneficial from those who are trying to stop the spread of the virus if they themselves are sick.
Culturally in countries like China, people wear masks not to prevent infection, but when they have cold – to stop spreading it," she said.
"It doesn't stop the spread of everything. If you wear a mask, it won't protect you from the virus [but] it will stop somebody who is coughing and sneezing from spreading the big particles that will have the virus."
