Coronavirus, also known as Covid-19 is a contagious virus from the family of viruses which made its first existence through transmission from animals to humans during the latter part of 2019. Many of the victims who initially got infected where people who either shopped frequently or worked in the centre of the Chinese city of Wuhan, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale market to be precise. The original host of this virus is known to be bats but the animal source has not been identified yet. It has been reported that bats were not sold at the Wuhan market but other live animals which were sold there might have been infected. The Virus happens to effectively transmit in humans, from one person to another. In recent studies, there has been an estimate which illustrates that, in the absence of rigid containment measures, a person who gets infected with Coronavirus has the higher tendency of passing it onto two other persons.
Convid-19 appears to possess a higher mortality rate than other illness and more than 126,000 people have been infected with over 4,600 deaths recorded. Its ability to spread quickly has prompted many countries throughout the World to put into place public health measures aimed at curbing the current situation.
Public health experts including medical experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) have been actively advising the public globally on Coronavirus and ways to curb the spread of the virus.
Below are some of the basic protective measures against Coronavirus.
1.WASH YOUR HANDS REQULARLY
Washing hands regularly is considered the most significant safety measure to minimise the chances of contamination from the virus surviving on surfaces or might be on your hands.
For this reason, frequently and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you’ve been in a public surrounding or after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose. In the absence of soap and water, you can clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub which contains at least 60% alcohol. It is advisable to avoid touching mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands.
2.Avoid Close Contact
It is very important to avoid close contact with people who are sick. If CONVID-19 is fastly spreading in your community, try to maintain a distance of at least 1 metre or 3 feet between yourself and other people, especially people sneezing or coughing. The reason being that, when a person sneezes or coughs, they tend to usually spray a number of liquid droplets from their mouth or nose which may contain this virus. You can therefore end up breathing in these liquid droplets, including the Coronavirus if you’re too close and if the person sneezing or coughing has the disease.
3.Desist from Touching Eyes, Nose and Mouth
Respiratory viruses can be transferred easily to your eyes, nose and mouth. This is because hands tend to come into contact with all kinds of things and surfaces which ends in picking up all sort of viruses. Once contaminated, the virus can be transferred from hands to your eyes, nose and mouth, resulting in the virus penetrating through your body from there and make you sick. As a result, it is very important to desist from touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Also, it is best to avoid all kinds of handshakes.
4.Cover Sneezes and Coughs
Following respiratory hygiene such as covering your mouth and nose with tissue or even with your bent elbow is an essential measure to help curb Coronavirus. Immediately dispose all used tissues in the trash. After, quickly wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer which contains at least 60% alcohol. By abiding by this respiratory hygiene, you protect not only yourself but people around you from viruses such as Coronavirus, Flu and even Cold.
5.Wear Facemask if You are Sick
If you end up falling sick and around people or visiting a healthcare provider, make it a habit to wear facemask. If you find it difficult wearing the facemask, then try your best to cover all your sneezes and coughs. Also, alert people who happen to be caring for you to wear a facemask when coming in close contact. However, if you are not sick, it not really important to have a facemask on unless you are caring for a sick person, but all the same, you can choose to wear it if that’s what makes you feel safe in public.
6.Clean and Disinfect
Clean and disinfect regularly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, handles, toilets, light switches, desks, countertops, phones, sinks, keyboards and many more. It is essential to clean surfaces not only when they are physically dirty but on daily basis as viruses are unseen. The use of soap and water or detergents before disinfection will be helpful. Some detergents to consider are Alcohol Solutions with at least 70% alcohol and also bleach.
7.Seek Medical Care Immediately if you have Cough, Fever or Difficulty Breathing
Stay home if you are sick. If you also experience difficulty in breathing or have cough or fever, immediately seek medical care. Go by direction of your local health authority because National and Local Authorities will have the most current information on the case in your community. Make it a point to also call in advance. This will enable your health care provider to refer you to the right department with no delay and protecting you from the spread viruses and infections.
Stay Safe Everyone and make sure to adhere to all Precautionary Measures.
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