Columbus, OH,
18
March
2020
|
18:31 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

10TV: What Social Distancing Means for Cancer Survivors

COVID-19 prevention isn’t just about protecting yourself: it’s about protecting everyone else around you too, even people you may not come into contact with every day. Some of the most at-risk populations for severe COVID-19 symptoms include those who have preexisting medical conditions like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Mike Racey, an Upper Arlington resident, has been cancer-free for over a year. But the new threat that COVID-19 poses could land him back in the hospital. That’s why the choices we make as a society could have serious consequences for others in similar situations.

"You may not know you're sick with the disease, or you may not be sick with the disease,” Alfred Vargas, MD, OhioHealth chief of medical oncology, told 10TV reporter Glenn McEntyre. “But you may carry it. And you could easily pass it on unintentionally- totally unintentionally.”

Dr. Vargas recommends acting with caution and following the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).

“Our best bet is to maintain social distance, give each other the space, not congregate too closely, because there could be a chain of people who are asymptomatic, and spread it,” he said.

To watch the full 10TV story, click on the logo below.