Presenter Phillip Schofield Raises Concern Whether Coronavirus Can Be Contracted Through Sex

With the reported deaths due to coronavirus reaching six today, Phillip Schofield, a television presenter at the ITV, wonders if you can get it through sex. The question was raised while the hosts of the TV Show This Morning were busy busting the myths associated with COVID-19.

Schofield, 57 years old, expressed his fear about the likelihood of going into self-isolation at the end of last month after the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to increase. The question came about as the show’s co-host Holly Willoughby and the presenter sat down and discussed COVID-19 myths with Immunologist Dr. Al Edwards and This Morning’s Dr. Sara Kayat.

As the group debunked some of the COVID-19 myths, Schofield asked if the virus can be contracted through sex. He said this is another question that is being asked.

A Logical Explanation

According to Dr. Kayat, coronavirus cannot be spread through sex itself because it is not a sexually transmitted illness, though there is some concern. The doctor said the virus is transmitted from respiratory droplets, which then spreads from direct contact. As such, there is a big chance you can catch coronavirus because of this intimacy with a partner who has been infected.

To this, Schofield said that during sex, the partners could get really close. Dr. Kayat said that both partners are pretty close unless they are having sex through like some barrier like a plastic sheet. She added that such is not sexy at all.

What Science Say About The Present Outbreak

The doctor then explained that based on UK modeling, the estimated mortality rate of coronavirus is at one percent, which is roughly equivalent to that of flu. The main problem is that at present, there is no available vaccine that can prevent coronavirus, particularly for those who are most vulnerable.

When the question as to whether COVID-19 can be caught from pets, Immunologist Dr. Al Edwards assured everyone that cats and dogs are not infected by the new coronavirus. Because of this, it is highly unlikely for someone to catch it from these pets. Dr. Edwards went on to explain that the virus is being transmitted from one human to the next.

There is also the question of whether you can get coronavirus from the packages you touch, especially those coming from China or countries where there is a COVID-19 outbreak. Dr. Edwards said that while the virus may live on the surface for a few hours, it is actually very fragile and will not live long outside your body.

The Immunologist also said that coronavirus does not like paper, so there is a very slim chance you can get it from a parcel. As to the question of coronavirus contaminating food, Dr. Kayat said it is not a major concert.

She said that the illness spreads through respiratory droplets. So if you ate food prepared by a person with coronavirus, it might have already been killed by the cooking process. Dr. Kayat added, however, that there are cases of the virus being observed in the stool, so such belief may not be ruled out entirely.

As to whether an infected person can get infected twice, Dr. Edwards said there is uncertainty towards this aspect because there is still so much to learn about this virus. On shaking hands, Dr. Edwards said that the gesture alone would not transmit the virus, but touching your eyes and mouth afterward will pass on the infection. This is why it is very important to observe hand hygiene before touching any part of the face or when eating.