Bollywood / Coronavirus isn't airborne: WHO doctor during live Q&A with Priyanka Chopra

Bollywood Desk: Actor Priyanka Chopra took part in a live conversation with WHO General-Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Technical Lead for Covid-19 on Tuesday. She has shared the entire conversation on Instagram.

She captioned her post, “There is so much information circulating about Covid-19. And right now we’re all searching for clarity. My friends at @WHO and @glblctzn graciously brought the doctors working on the front lines here to give us answers straight from the experts. Please take some time to watch my IG Live with Dr. Tedros (General-Director at W.H.O.) and Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove (Technical Lead for Covid-19) from @WHO, who answered some questions that so many of you sent in.”

Priyanka added in her caption, “Guys, let’s make it our duty to donate to @WHO and stand in solidarity to help flatten the curve (link is up in my bio) and please tag your friends and family below who are looking for answers and action steps. Thank you so much Dr. Tedros and Dr. Maria for taking the time, and thank you @glblctzn for everything you do. Everyone please be responsible, stay home and stay safe.”

Priyanka opened the chat by saying that she’d be asking questions submitted by the general populace. The first question came from her husband, Nick Jonas, who joined in on the conversation. Nick mentioned that he is type one diabetic, and that Priyanka is asthmatic, and that they are both concerned about their safety. The coronavirus is said to be worse for those with pre-existing conditions. Dr Maria said that the couple was taking the right precautions by staying at home, but that others who don’t have pre-existing conditions should also do the same thing. To young people, she said, “You are not invincible.”

Priyanka then proceeded to ask questions sent in by others. Addressing concerns about whether the virus can spread via the air, Dr Maria stated clearly, “The virus is not airborne.” She did, however, say that the virus can be transmitted through fomites, which means that the virus can remain on surfaces, but that doesn’t mean that you can get the disease simply by touching an infected surface. She urged everyone to wash their hands and follow hygiene protocols.

Answering a question about whether someone who has recovered from the illness can contract it again, Dr Maria said that those who are infected can be expected to develop an immune response, but data around that is still being gathered.

Priyanka then asked the doctors about whether the virus can spread amid higher temperatures. Dr Maria said that the virus has been observed to have spread in different climates, such as China and Singapore. Dr Maria said that it’s still early to have a definitive answer to the question. Dr Tedros said that work on creating a vaccine is underway. He said that it could take 12-18 months for a vaccine to be created.

Priyanka ended the conversation by bringing up concerns about low-income countries such as India, and to avoid spreading panic about basic necessities. She said that she is trying to make people understand that everyone is in the same boat. “It’s a weird leveller,” she said. Priyanka and Nick have been in self-isolation for close to three weeks.