How Can I Avoid Deadly Viruses?

We ask Jason Tetro, author of The Germ Files

- Courtney Shea

Germs are top of mind right now, thanks to the emergence of the new coronavirus. How can we avoid exposing ourselves to it, or similarly dangerous diseases?

People want to hear there’s something they can do to take extra precautions, but the way you can protect yourself from things like coronavirus—now technically called COVID-19—is the same way that you already should be protecting yourself from regular flu bugs and other pathogens: wash your hands frequently and avoid contact with surfaces that are touched by a lot of people, such as doorknobs, handles and elevator buttons.

In your own home, you can make sure to clean and disinfect high-use surfaces, which are generally in the bathroom and the kitchen.

Understandably, there has been a lot of attention paid to the coronavirus, but keep in mind the regular flu actually poses a comparable threat to Canadians. According to Health Canada, the flu causes about 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths in the country each year.