There’s a lot of hullabaloo surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Should we be worried? What is it? Is it deadly? How much toilet paper should I buy? The general breakdown is this, it’s a bad flu that could more easily turn into pneumonia because it’s primarily a respiratory illness. If you are generally a healthy individual, you aren’t likely to have any major issues with the Coronavirus, even if you are infected.

About 80% of patients who have COVID-19 can be treated at home. The rate of patients who experience serious complications is only slightly higher than that of seasonal flu.

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But it is wise to take precautions, regardless. It is flu season, after all, and any amount of sickness is unpleasant.

How are film sets preparing for Coronavirus?

Some sets have closed down for the time being, but for those that haven't, you may need to provide information to help the studio determine if you have symptoms or if you have been exposed to the virus.

The Central Casting website states:

Given the recent events surrounding the Coronavirus, it is possible that a studio may ask that you provide information to help the studio determine if you have symptoms of the virus or have been exposed to the virus. Central Casting is not requiring you to provide this information. However, the studio may require that you provide the information before you are permitted to work on the set.

What information will you need to provide? In most cases, it’s verbal confirmation that you have no fever, shortness of breath or have recently traveled to South Korea, Japan, China, Italy, or Iran, or been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

If you are feeling under the weather, stay home, rest, take care of yourself, eat a healthy diet, take some vitamins and drink lots of water. If you have been scheduled to work on set, call your supervisor and tell them you are sick. The best way to keep any illness from spreading is to limit contact with people who are sick.

How to stay healthy on set?

Obviously, you can’t control what other people do, you can only, ultimately, be responsible for yourself. Also, people can be contagious before they even show symptoms. So, how do you keep yourself from getting sick while working in close proximity to strangers on set?

-Wash your hands. Hand sanitizer is great in a pinch, but it’s no substitute for washing your hands.

-Wipe down your phone with a disinfecting wipe.

-Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Sugar prevents your immune system from functioning at its highest level.

-Pick up some travel size disinfecting wipes and wipe down doorknobs and other frequently touched surfaces.

-Don’t share drinks or other things that come in contact with your mouth.

-Keep your distance. If you don’t have to be super close to people, don’t. Keep physical contact to a minimum.

-Eat a healthy diet. Vitamins are great and really helpful, but they are no substitute for a healthy diet. Stock up on foods that are high in vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and consider taking a probiotic. Find more ways to boost your immune system here

What are the symptoms of Coronavirus?

According to the CDC website, symptoms of the coronavirus are fever over 100, cough and shortness of breath. Remember, most cases can be treated at home with rest, healthy fluids and other immune-boosting strategies. If you are concerned or believe you have been in contact with someone infected by the Coronavirus, call your doctor, and avoid public places as much as possible.

** Disclaimer: It is not the intention of this article to diagnose or give any medical advice. If you are showing symptoms of the Coronavirus or Influenza, call your doctor.