As coronavirus strengthens its grip around the world and in New Zealand, so too does an array of varied information leaving some with more questions about the virus than answers.
Dr Siouxsie Wiles is an expert in the field, a microbiologist at the University of Auckland.
Appearing on a TVNZ1's Covid-19 special programme yesterday evening, Dr Wiles answered some of the questions on the minds of Kiwis.
What is the more effective type of soap - liquid or bar soap?
Any soap is absolutely fine but soap is the thing that you want to use. And remember it’s 20 seconds and what I’ve heard is that people have been very concerned about the use of water. You don’t have to run the tap for 20 seconds.
How does the virus affect pregnant women?
So we actually don’t have huge amounts of data on that at the moment but the pregnant women that have had the virus have recovered and been fine and their babies have been absolutely fine.
Is the virus airborne? Can it be carried in the air?
The virus is not airborne, it is droplet spread. What we do know is that a study was done of hospital rooms that had Covid-19 patients in them and they found virus all over the surfaces, which is what we would see with droplet spread, and none in the air so it is not airborne.
What about households where children are living with their grandparents. Should those children stay away from school so they don't bring the virus home from school?
I think this is a question that families are going to have to be asking themselves. So I think if you do have vulnerable people in your family then now is probably the time to be making those arrangements for how the family will stay safe. If that means you feel that you need to keep your children home then do that if that makes you feel safer.
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