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Bed Bug Blog

Heat + Knowledge = Dead Bed Bugs

Heat will kill the coronavirus – and anything else for that matter

With all of the hype around the coronavirus, everyone is looking for sure-fire solutions in case it hits their area.

While we are still learning about the coronavirus one thing we do know for sure is that with enough heat one will kill any living organism. We know that most microbial cells will die at temperatures of 100 degrees or higher.*  Even the U.S. president thinks the virus will clear up, but only once temperatures begin rising.**

Treating structures with the heat process will slow this contagion without the need to wipe down contents to eliminate fomites on surfaces. Previous coronaviruses including SARS and MERS could last as long as two weeks in an air-conditioned environment.  This process will also provide legitimate peace of mind that the structure is free of viral contamination.  During a microbe-focused heat treatment, be sure to run the HVAC during the heat treatment process to get thermal levels of heat inside this system should it house any viral contamination.

So if you are worried about the coronavirus, or bed bugs, or any other living thing living in your space that shouldn’t be there, then treating that space with heat is the best way to take care of it.

Call Nashville Bed Bugs today at 615.257.0255 and order your next heat treatment.

For your personal safety here are Some FACTS to consider from an MD immunologist (a reputable source of perspective as a physician who specializes and is board certified in immunology (as well as pediatrics, allergy and dermatology):
  • Coronaviruses are a family of viruses. “Coronavirus” is not unique to this particular strain. Everyone reading this has likely had another different coronavirus infection. This particular strain has been named COVID-19.
  • Every upper respiratory virus has the potential to be lethal. Patients unfortunately die from many upper respiratory viral infections every year – most prominently the influenza virus. 30,000 people died from the influenza virus in 2019. The media didn’t report each one. They have reported all 11 coronavirus deaths. Not telling us about the people lost but rather keeping a death “toll”. Let me repeat that:
  • Coronavirus: 11 deaths (US in 2020), 3300 deaths (China in 2020).
    • Influenza: 30,000 deaths (US in 2019).
    • Influenza pandemic of 1918: 675,000! (US), 20-50 MILLION!! (worldwide) <—These people I think would have been in favor of receiving their annual flu vaccine.
    • This is not meant to minimize any of these deaths but rather to give context and put some facts to the hysteria.
  • If you’re healthy, there is no need to walk around wearing a mask. In addition to looking silly and most of the time wearing/taking them off wrong – which would actually make you more prone to acquiring an infection, they don’t prevent you from getting sick. If you’re actually sick stay away from people and then, sure, wear a mask so you aren’t spreading respiratory droplets every time you cough/sneeze. In medicine we don’t wear the masks you’re buying and we wear other protective equipment – not just a silly looking mask you found on Amazon. When you see doctor’s walking around the world wearing a mask then you should too. Until then, stop.
  • The symptoms are that of the flu. As doctors we don’t test or know about most people with mild or moderate flu symptoms. That means most people will probably get it and just think they had the flu. That means you’re only going to hear about the cases that get serious – not all the minor ones which will be the vast majority of cases.
  • When it is said that people who are older or have other medical conditions are most likely to die – that is equally true for EVERY upper respiratory virus. There is nothing unique about that to this particular virus. It does mean that the only cases we tend to know about are the severe ones. Once a case is severe it then makes sense to test the patient to find out what virus in particular they have. That means you can easily overestimate how severe or lethal the virus is because the only cases you end up knowing about are the serious ones.
  • [redacted – see full post here: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.bordegon/posts/10158257973518324]
  • In summary 30,000 people died from the flu last year. Another 30,000 died in car accidents. In conclusion, yes there is a novel virus that our immune systems haven’t seen yet so to get immune to it you will have to get infected – at least until a vaccine is developed to bypass the getting sick part and just jumping straight to immune. Most people’s immune systems will do that effectively and be fine. A small percentage of unfortunate patients (primarily elderly, immune compromised etc.) will not be able to do that effectively and will need more advanced care. This is true of the cold/flu viruses we deal with every year. Follow normal cold/flu precautions and seek medical care if you feel your symptoms are severe. No need to get hysterical.
  • If you still think you should be scared consider this: Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff are going to hospitals every day. Crowded buildings with tons of sick people. They aren’t walking around the halls of the hospitals wearing masks and they haven’t stopped going to work. And they are all rolling their eyes at everyone else right now.
  • Marc Serota, MD
  • Other sources to read: https://www.facebook.com/ChattanoogaPeds/posts/2863807563696007

*http://resources.schoolscience.co.uk/sgm/sgmpres1.html

**https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/482532-trump-heat-will-kill-coronavirus

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