Coronavirus Tips|COVID-19 Prevention Tips Symptoms Treatments
Even after almost 6 months of COVID-19 outbreak in India and rapidly increasing cases, some people have not been taking the viral disease seriously. According to them, if they are destined to get the virus they will, in any case. If you also think the same, you are highly mistaken. You will contract the virus only if you do not take enough precautions and won’t maintain good personal hygiene.
During the pandemic, you may be thinking that ordering things online is safe than going out for shopping and you can remain unaffected this way. Though it does reduces your risk of getting the novel virus, you are not 100 per cent safe from getting the disease. To nil even the slightest possibility of being affected by COVID-19, you should abide by certain hygiene rules. Read further to know about them.
Protect yourself and others around you by knowing the facts and taking appropriate precautions. Follow advice provided by your local health authority.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Stay home if you feel unwell.
- If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.
- Calling in advance allows your healthcare provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This protects you, and prevents the spread of viruses and other infections.
What Is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
At the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus began making people sick with flu-like symptoms. The illness is called coronavirus disease-19 COVID-19 for short. The virus spreads easily and has now affected people in many countries.
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
The coronavirus (COVID-19) causes a fever, cough, and trouble breathing. Some people have a sore throat. Symptoms are a bit like those people have with a cold or the flu. The virus can be more serious in some people, especially if they are sick or have health problems.
How Does Coronavirus (COVID-19) Spread?
People can catch coronavirus from others who have the virus. Most often, this happens when an infected person sneezes or coughs, sending tiny droplets into the air. These can land in the nose, mouth, or eyes of someone nearby, or be breathed in.
How Is Coronavirus (COVID-19) Treated?
Most people with COVID-19, including children, do not have serious problems. After seeing a doctor, most get better with rest and fluids. People who are very ill get care in a hospital with breathing help, IV fluids, and other treatments.
Protect yourself and others from the spread COVID-19:
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
- Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
- Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and others. Why? When someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person has the disease.
- Avoid going to crowded places. Why? Where people come together in crowds, you are more likely to come into close contact with someone that has COVID-19 and it is more difficult to maintain physical distance of 1 metre (3 feet).
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.
- Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash your hands. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
- Stay home and self-isolate even with minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house, wear a mask to avoid infecting others. Why? Avoiding contact with others will protect them from possible COVID-19 and other viruses.
- If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, but call by telephone in advance if possible and follow the directions of your local health authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
- Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Why? Local and national authorities are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.
Safe use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers:
To protect yourself and others against COVID-19, clean your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water. If you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, make sure you use and store it carefully.
- Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers out of children’s reach. Teach them how to apply the sanitizer and monitor its use.
- Apply a coin-sized amount on your hands. There is no need to use a large amount of the product.
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose immediately after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, as it can cause irritation.
- Hand sanitizers recommended to protect against COVID-19 are alcohol-based and therefore can be flammable. Do not use before handling fire or cooking.
- Under no circumstance, drink or let children swallow an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It can be poisonous.
- Remember that washing your hands with soap and water is also effective against COVID-19.
Leave The Parcel Outside For 24 Hours:
The novel virus is highly contagious and can remain on grocery and other items for multiple hours and even days. Touching them when the virus is active can increase your risk of being COVID-19 positive. So, it is advisable to leave the parcel or the delivery outside for at least 24 hours. If the item inside the package is perishable, get rid of the outer covering right away and wash your hands with soap and water.
Change the Food Container:
If you have ordered food online, make sure you remove the packaging right after taking the delivery. Then wash your hands with soap and water. Now, transfer the food immediately in another container. Again wash your hands with soap and water properly.
Clean The Items:
Throwing the coverings away doesn’t complete your job. Once you bring the goods inside your home, you are advised to clean them properly with soap, water, or cleaning wipes and disinfectants. Vegetables and fruits can be cleaned using plain warm water with chlorine in it.
Less often, people can get infected if they touch an infected droplet on a surface and then touch their own nose, mouth, or eyes.
Is Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dangerous to Children?
There seem to be far fewer cases of the virus reported in children. Most kids with the infection caught it from someone they lived with or a family member. The virus seems to usually cause a milder infection in children than in adults or older people.
Doctors and researchers are working on medicines and a vaccine for coronavirus. Antibiotics can't treat viruses so they won't help with the coronavirus. Medicines for the flu don't work either because the coronavirus is different from the flu virus.
What Teachers and Childcare Providers Can Do:
Preventing the spread of germs will help protect you from COVID-19. Take these steps:
Wash your hands well and often. Wash for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth, especially if you haven't washed your hands.
Many schools and childcare centers are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. But if you still have children in your care:
Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that the children touch a lot as required by licensing regulations. Currently, no added steps beyond routine cleaning are needed.
Avoid contact with people who are sick. If a child becomes sick while in your care, keep them separate from the other children while they wait to be picked up. Encourage all families and teachers/childcare providers to stay home if they get sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue if you sneeze or cough, then throw it out. If you don't have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your elbow, not your hands. Make sure that kids have access to tissues and no-touch trashcans.
How it spreads:
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.
Everyone Should Wash your hands often:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
It’s especially important to wash:
Before eating or preparing food
Before touching your face
After using the restroom
After leaving a public place
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After handling your mask
After changing a diaper
After caring for someone sick
After touching animals or pets
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact:
Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
Outside your home:
- Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.
- Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others
- You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
- The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
- Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
- Do NOT use a mask meant for a healthcare worker. Currently, surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first res-ponders.
- Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.
Cover coughs and sneezes:
Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
Throw used tissues in the trash.
Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Clean and disinfect:
Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, counter tops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Then, use a household disinfectant. Most common EPA-registered household disinfect will work.
Monitor Your Health Daily:
Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
Take your temperature if symptoms develop.
Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Treatment:
Self-care:
If you feel sick you should rest, drink plenty of fluid, and eat nutritious food. Stay in a separate room from other family members, and use a dedicated bathroom if possible. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Everyone should keep a healthy lifestyle at home. Maintain a healthy diet, sleep, stay active, and make social contact with loved ones through the phone or internet. Children need extra love and attention from adults during difficult times. Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible.
It is normal to feel sad, stressed, or confused during a crisis. Talking to people you trust, such as friends and family, can help. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counselor.
BLOCKING THE VIRUS:
Antiviral drugs can stop viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C from hijacking our cells. Scientists are searching for antivirals that work against the new corona virus.
Remdesivir (Promising evidence):
It stops viruses from replicating by inserting itself into new viral genes. While it didn’t fulfill its original purpose of fighting Ebola and hepatitis C, preliminary data suggests it can reduce hospital stay in severe cases from 15 to 11 days. The latest data also hints that it might reduce death rates among those who are very ill.
Favipiravir (Tentative or mixed evidence):
Favipiravir is a flu drug that blocks a virus’s ability to copy its genetic material. A small study in March indicated that it might clear out the coronavirus from the airway, but results from larger, well-designed clinical trials are still pending.
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