Buzz Aldrin gives surprising response when asked about protecting himself from coronavirus

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Buzz Aldrin, who spent three weeks in quarantine after returning from the moon decades ago, is self-isolating amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"Lying on my a-- and locking the door," the former astronaut told ARS Technica when asked what he was doing to protect himself.

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Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin said he is staying indoors amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Associated Press )

While the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms for most people, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions face greater risks, according to medical experts.

Aldrin, 90, was the second man to walk on the moon. He spent three weeks in quarantine after Apollo 11 returned in 1969.

Along with fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, the trio was escorted from their life raft to the U.S.S. Hornet and put into an Airstream trailer known as a mobile quarantine. They were then flown to Houston where they spent their time in a secure building, according to the tech magazine.

The men spent three weeks inside the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to prevent the spread of any possible contagions they may have brought back to Earth.

"Mike Collins and I used to exercise and jog a little bit around the hallway," Aldrin recalled.

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He said he also spent the time filling out mission reports and other paperwork, like a government travel voucher for $33.31 for his trip to the moon.