Behavioral Neurology Specialist Gonzalo Quintana Zunino of Concordia University (Canada) has revealed what are the sex rules during coronavirus infection. The specialist column was published by the newspaper The Conversation.
The author notes that there is currently no evidence of sexual transmission of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, involving vaginal, oral and anal contacts. Meanwhile, the specialist recalls that recorded cases of transmission of infection include not only the airborne droplet, but also the fecal-oral route.
The scientist concludes that almost any sexual practice will lead to the transmission of the virus. “Now is not the time to have sex,” the author is sure, noting that “if you and your partner have no symptoms and you stayed at home, then sex is most likely not dangerous.”
Otherwise, the specialist recommends doing "simple and small experiments." The author writes, in particular, on the use of condoms and latex gloves. “Instead of kisses and sexual intimacy, try erotic massage, chatting, courtship, mutual masturbation, watching or reading erotica, watching your partner enjoy himself,” the author writes.
According to the expert, during coronavirus infection, rimming should “remain completely behind the scenes”, and kisses through a mask will not save from infection.
In March, Louisiana State University (USA) reported that taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers, recommended, in particular, for elderly people with cardiovascular diseases, increases the likelihood of contracting SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in these individuals.
As more than 6 billion people are currently on lockdown, with over 770.165 confirmed cases and 37,112 deaths, there are very clear rules on what you need to follow during quarantine. And they are: shopping only for basic necessities, taking one exercise per day, travelling to work if you must to and urgent medical needs.
So, while everything makes sense so far, what about the intimate life? It seems our politicians are not so concerned with this topic, so we have to look somewhere else for answers.
To date, the government has not given any official guidelines about sex. Dr Jenny Harries said in a press conference that now is a perfect time for couples to “test” a relationship by moving in together.
If I have sex can I catch coronavirus?
According to BBC, the answer is yes and no.
If you are single, you have a very high chance of being sexless for a few months. In this case, if you cannot wait until the epidemic will end, you need to self-isolate for two weeks or more, and neither of you are exhibiting symptoms or have come into contact with anyone who is, then go for it.
If you are considering meeting up with someone to have sex, don’t. It’s against the stipulations of the lockdown. As Prof. Estcourt says: “To comply with the government advice to prevent transmission, it’s really important that the only people you have sex with are those who live within your household. You should not be having sex if so doing means you have to breach government guidance not to mix households.”
As far about those in a relationship you can have sex if both feel healthy, are not in an at-risk group, and have not come into contact with anyone with symptoms.
As Dr Alex George told in an interview for BBC: If you're in a relationship… living with that person, and sharing the same environment, it shouldn't change your situation. However if one of you is displaying symptoms of coronavirus then you should maintain your social-distancing and isolate, even within your home. In an ideal world everyone would stay two metres apart - even in their own house, but we realise this may not be realistic.
So, is Covid-19 sexually transmissible?
If either you or your partner are exhibiting symptoms or have come into contact with someone who is, then don’t have sex. The virus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets. So while there is no evidence that it can be transmitted through genital secretions, it could be spread through saliva.
Dr Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz, associate professor of prevention and community health at George Washington University, mentioned the following: “There is no evidence that Covid-19 can be transmitted via sexual intercourse; either vaginal or anal.
"However, kissing is a very common practice during sex, and the virus can be transmitted via saliva. Therefore, the virus can be transmitted by kissing."
At the end of day, can I just have sex while self-isolating alone?
The short answer is no. The government has put us on lockdown to stop the spread of this deadly virus. And clearly that takes precedence over your sex life.
But all is not lost - the internet affords us plenty of ways to satisfy our needs from a safe distance. Take for example Pornhub, an adult entertainment site who is offering a free premium subscription to all new subscribers for one month. The company said they took this decision in order to make people respect the quarantine and stay home.
Real stories of virus outbreaks, horror stories about zombies and a philosophical parable about the plague.
Outbreak
The military kept a dangerous virus in the laboratory, but the infected experimental monkey broke free. Now epidemiologists need to urgently find a vaccine. To do this, they need to find the first carrier - that same animal.
Contagion
A dangerous virus spreads from Asia all over the world. Mortality from it is more than 20%, and a quick mutation complicates the creation of a vaccine. WHO is trying to stop the mass infection and find a "null patient."
World War Z
Former UN employee Jerry Lane stuck with his family in traffic and witnessed a massive outbreak of a zombie virus. Each bitten after 12 seconds turns into a fast and aggressive flesh eater. Having managed to get out of a dangerous situation, Lane joins a group that is trying to find a cure for the virus.
Perfect Sense
Chef Michael and epidemiologist Susan have fallen in love. But they are not able to enjoy a passionate romance, because the world was struck by an outbreak of an unknown virus: people lose their sense of smell, then taste, and then other feelings.
The Andromeda Strain
A military satellite falls to Earth near a small town in Arizona. A dangerous virus escapes from it, killing all residents in the vicinity, except for an old man and a child who is ill with a ulcer. A group of scientists gather in an isolated area to study the disease.
Panic in the Streets
Several criminals kill on the street a man who won a large sum of money in their cards. When the police find the body, the medical examiner discovers that the deceased was infected with pneumonic plague. Now the detectives urgently need to catch the bandits in order to arrest them for the murder, and at the same time save the entire city from the epidemic.
Morte a Venezia
Composer Gustav von Aschenbach is tired of both creativity and life. He goes to relax at a resort near Venice. But soon the hero falls in love with a young Pole and again loses peace. Meanwhile, the cholera epidemic is beginning in the city.
Busanhaeng
Suk Woo is about to take his daughter Su Ahn to her mother in Busan. They board the train, but at the last moment a woman infected with a zombie virus jumps into the car. It turns out that the living dead are already taking over the world. Passengers need to stop the spread of infection within the train and get to a safe place.
The Painted Veil
The film takes place in the 1920s. Middle-class physician Walter married the aristocrat Kitty, but their marriage cannot be called happy. At a certain point, the husband sets a condition: either the wife leaves for her lover, or leaves with her husband in a Chinese village, where he will help fight the cholera outbreak. And it is precisely Walter’s dedication to the dangerous work that makes Kitty truly love him.
28 Days Later
A simple guy Jim comes out of a long coma and discovers that he missed the start of a terrible epidemic. An unknown virus turns people into mindless killers. Jim meets several survivors, and together they try to get to a safe haven. But in the new world, the problem is not only infected.
Chinese authorities have announced the end of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. This was announced at a briefing by the official representative of the State Committee for Health of the People's Republic of China, Mi Feng.
Feng said that as of March 28, the number of confirmed cases of infection throughout the country was less than three thousand. Thus, the spread of infection in China was stopped.
According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University (USA), the total number of cases of coronavirus infection in China is just over 82 thousand. 75.5 thousand people recovered, 3.3 thousand died. Now in the first place in the world in the number of cases of coronavirus - the United States. Almost 125 thousand infected were detected there.
On March 22, it was reported that several tens of thousands of coronavirus infected in China were not included in official statistics due to the absence of symptoms. This was written by the local press with reference to closed government data. Thus, according to reporters, the number of cases in China can reach 125 thousand.
In the rest in the world, the number of infections are growing day by day, reaching over 700.000 cases with 32,144 deaths. Out of those infected, 25,423 are in either serious or critical condition. Italy has been the worst country affected, with 10,023 confirmed deaths followed by Spain, with 6,528 cases.
Made a commemorative ornament for my husband. We’ve survived 9 most of lockdown in a one bedroom apartment!
The coronavirus pandemic affected almost all the countries around the world, led to the closure of borders, the suspension of production and the cancellation of mass events. But when will it end? There is no exact answer to this question yet. However, in this article we will talk about three possible scenarios.
Control and isolation
Duration: from 3 months and more
It is believed that the pandemic can be stopped by controlling the virus. For this, it will be necessary to identify and isolate patients who are infected so that the disease can not spread. This idea seems logical: an outbreak of SARS in 2003, also caused by a member of the coronavirus family, ended with the isolation of patients.
The main problem with this strategy is that, due to difficulties with the diagnosis of the virus, there is no accurate data on the number of cases. Statistics simply do not take into account those cases when the disease is mild or asymptomatic. This means that many people can be infected, but are not aware those, risking to infect others.
At the same time, experts from China report that the epidemic can be stopped by the summer if all countries take serious quarantine measures. In Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the peak of the coronavirus has already passed, and now authorities have lifted restrictions and opened access to the city of Wuhan. However, there are doubts about whether China is now capable of controlling the outbreak of coronavirus and whether this measure is conducive to continued spread of the virus. Now the hospitals in Wuhan have stopped testing patients and are not recording cases of asymptomatic virus in the human body, which means that there are still many infected people in the city and the epidemic may continue, but perhaps not at such a fast pace.
Vaccination
Duration: 18 months and more
The vaccine is the first way to fight COVID-19. If most people are vaccinated, the pandemic should stop to develop. Tests will be completed in July, and after about 11 months, the vaccine should be finally ready. And in the United States last week, the first person already received an experimental vaccine. This happened after the researchers were allowed to skip the rule of animal testing - primarily because of the crisis. But even if these initial tests succeed, it will still take up to 18 months for any potential vaccine to be available to most people.
The duration of the pandemic will also be affected by how effectively states can fight the virus before the vaccine appears on the market. To do this, they need to slow down its spread (for example, by full or partial quarantine, which we talked about above) and prepare hospitals for a large number of patients by increasing the number of places and mechanical ventilation devices.
Immune system
Duration: from 24 months and more
Finally, the least option: you are likely to get the coronavirus, but it will help to overcome the pandemic. If the virus continues to spread, then in the end many people will be infected and (if they survive) will become immune to it. In this case, the virus will disappear on its own, but it is not known how many people will suffer in such a scenario. This phenomenon is known as collective immunity. Great Britain initially chose the strategy of forming collective immunity, but then abandoned it, believing that this would lead to high hospitalization rates and the need for emergency medical care for a large number of people at the same time.
To summarize, to combat COVID-19, according to various estimates, it will take from 3 to 24 months.