Outer Banks Times

United States Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) held a town hall teleconference on March 31 to answer questions North Carolinians may have and encouraged following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during the state's stay-at-home order. 

The congressman told residents that "we will get through this," while answering questions individuals had about the coronavirus and the risk it poses, the Carolina Coast Online reported on April 2. 

A doctor by profession, the Republican lawmaker, whose district includes Carteret County, said during the teleconference, "It's kind of a wimpy virus," the publication reported. But he didn't mean COVID-19 wasn't serious and didn't pose any danger. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that as of April 9 there were 3,651 positive COVID-19 cases in 91 counties and 65 deaths. Nationwide, there are more than 460,000 cases and 16,703 deaths. 

"It's able to be eradicated. When your body gets a virus, your body gets an immunity," he said during the teleconference, the publication reported. This means an individual's body will build up an immunity to the virus if they were to contract it. He also said COVID-19 could potentially cause long-term lung problems. 

He also said recovery from the virus depends on the individual and how healthy they were when they first caught the coronavirus, according to Carolina Coast Online. But most healthy individuals without pre-existing health conditions will recover in two to four weeks. 

In the teleconference, Murphy discussed the rumor that ibuprofen can make a case of the virus become worse and said no evidence supports this claim and also encouraged local businesses to keep employees rather than laying them off, according to the publication. 

When asked about how safe it was to go outdoors during the pandemic, Murphy said North Carolina residents should get fresh air. But when regarding safety measures, it can be more difficult to determine what other people will do. If individuals do leave their homes, Murphy hopes they will do the right thing to stay safe, according to the publication. 

“I think going out in yards is fine. It’s just social distancing (that’s needed) … just stay 6 feet away from people," he said in the teleconference, according to the publication. "You'd hope when you appeal to people's sense of right and wrong, they'll do the right thing."