In terms of people protecting themselves, Lang said the biggest issue is social distancing – avoiding crowds and closed spaces, he said. People should wash their hands and disinfect them any time they are around people or any time they touch any surface, including doors, elevator buttons and railings, he said.
As for employers, Lang said they need to have a good system in place to update workers on what measures they are taking. He suggested decreasing density by allowing people to work from home and disinfecting surfaces often. And one of the most important thing is to send home employees who show signs of cold symptom, he said.
As the weather gets warmer, the spread of the virus will decrease, Lang said, because people will be outdoors and there will be more social distances.
The hope is to have a Tamiflu-like anti-viral medicine in the fall, he said, and by this time next year, possibly a vaccine. “That will be a game changer,” he said.
Will the U.S. have a nationwide shutdown like in Italy? Lang does not think so. Italy, he said, has a large population of people over the age of 65 with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
As President Trump declared a national emergency to combat Covid-19 today, Lang cautioned the public not to overreact. “It does not mean they have to go overboard,” he said, adding that people should take the necessary precautions.