Dos and Don’ts to Safeguard Yourself from Coronavirus Infection

Corona Virus outbreak has shattered the world. Who knew to start from Wuhan City, China it will turn into a global pandemic. The transmission of COVID 19 is from one person to another. Deadly Coronavirus is present in respiratory droplets of cough or sneeze of an infected person. However, it can be passed on from an infected person to another easily. It can also be transmitted by a person touching or coming contact of an infected surface. Since December 2019, the spread of the virus has not stopped instead it is now spread in 190 Countries & Territories with the number of confirmed cases.

As per WHO (World Health Organisation), presently the number of confirmed cases are more than 4 lakh and confirmed deaths are more than 14 thousand. However, the symptoms of the virus vary from mild to severe. People with medical conditions like diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer or cardiovascular diseases tend to receive the virus more easily as compared to a fit person. As of now, there are no vaccinations available for COVID 19. Self-care is the utmost to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Also, read the 20 Vegetables and fruits that can boost immunity to fight against Coronavirus.

We can’t see the end of this Global pandemic, it is spreading rapidly in all the countries. Currently, India is under the Lockdown situation, with a measure to prevent the spread of Corona. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi expressed the depth of the situation saying Lockdown was required considering the undesirable health condition all over the cities. Prime Minister said, One has to understand the about the spread of Covid 19 virus is in our hands, e can take a precautionary measure such as by maintaining social distance to stop the spread of the virus among citizens. Prime Minister asked the citizens to cooperate. He said if anyone will fail or violate the protocol payback will be for many. Indian Government is taking all the necessary steps to help the citizens, they are putting up all the supportive measures.

Here are the Dos and Don’ts for the Global Pandemic:

Dos to Safeguard Yourself from Coronavirus Infection:

1. Wear Your Masks

• If you have any symptoms such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, dry cough, difficulty in breathing, then wearing a mask is a compulsion to you. If you are around anybody with these symptoms it is important to wear a mask.
• If you are taking care of a Corona suspected person, then make sure you don’t remove your mask as it will transmit the virus to you easily.
• If you are using disposable face masks, Do not wear them the next day as well. These masks are efficient and have antimicrobial present in it, but they might not last long. Make sure you change the mask in about 8 hours. If one continues wearing the same mask for long, it increases the risk of getting bacteria and viruses in it. As the name suggests, these masks are disposable so one has to do that after the use. Make sure you dispose the worn masks at a proper place, avoid throwing it anywhere around, as it may contain germs, which can easily be spread.
• If you are using N95 or N99 masks then they do have a life as compared to disposable ones. The filter on the top is labelled with the age of a particular mask.
• Wearing a face mask is not needed if you are not having any symptoms and you are at staying at your home. But it a must to put face mask when you are taking care of a susceptible person.

2. Wash, Wash & Wash your hands

Hand Hygiene is highly important. YES! There are chances of getting the virus by touching the infected person, surface or object. Therefore, wash your hands with soap taking intervals. Make sure to wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds, scrub your hand properly and let it dry. Do not wash hurriedly wash it well, scrub the area between your fingers as it’s a place for germs or viruses to hide. Following the practice, you can use alcohol-based sanitizers to sanitize your hands. Take it as a habit as this leap of practice will help to prevent the spread of infection and to keep you healthy. Also avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands as it might contain germs which can leave you with a deadly infection.

3. You Must follow Isolation

Isolation is about staying at home or indoors. Staying home means not going to crowded places may it be a workplace. One has to understand the spread of Corona is going to be cured if each citizen will cooperate. As the Indian Government has declared the lockdown situation considering it as a preventive measure to stop the spread of COVID 19 Virus.

Isolation is going to help not only you, your families or your society but to all the citizens. As we all know transmission of coronavirus is from one person to another, in case the infected person coughs or sneezes the respiratory (infected) droplets present in their cough or sneeze will transfer the virus to people around. Thus avoid taking the risk of going out, or going to public places. Make it clear- It’s no time to leisure, it’s about taking precautions and staying fit. It is highly advisable to stay at your home if you are already sick or have any of the similar symptoms.

DON’T BREAK THE ISOLATION: STAY AT YOUR HOME, PAY YOUR PART OF HELP TO YOURSELF, TO YOUR FAMILIES AND TO SOCIETY.

4. Follow Regular Cleaning & Disinfection

Cleaning and disinfection process should be done wearing Gloves to avoid chances of getting germs. Make sure to clean and disinfect your house including surfaces or objects with household disinfectants. One should disinfect the surfaces like table, chairs, kitchen platform, floor or objects like doorknobs, handles, keys, mobile phones, switches. Just make use of the right product for the process, one can use bleach along with water for disinfection. One can make use of spray cleaners for disinfecting objects and little areas. It will be an easy-going solution. In case you are opting for bleach, dilute the solution with water.

If any of your family members is underlying with health issues, then it is very much necessary to keep the house clean and disinfected, to avoid germs or virus to take place.

5. Practice Social-distancing and hygiene Measures

• Cover when you sneeze or cough with your elbow, don’t use your palm as it tends to get viruses and germs easily.
• Make sure you stay clean, have a regular bath!
• If you are making use of face masks and gloves as a safety guard, then change them frequently.
• After going to the washroom, wash your hands properly with soap, Make it a rule to apply sanitizer.
• Skip the physical touch.
• Maintain distance with sick people around you.
• Practice social-distancing and keep yourself at least 1.5 meters away from others.

Don’ts to Safeguard Yourself from Coronavirus Infection

1. Avoid Social Gathering

If you have any plans for Social Gathering, Just avoid it! As we all know, one infected person can easily transfer the virus to many people around. In such a situation one should avoid gatherings, rather choose to stay at home with your family. Skip meeting people, stop planning meetups, instead, you can have long hours of call with your friends or family. For now, “Crowd is what you need to be away from!” Stop the use of public transport, avoid going to shopping malls, markets or any such crowded place.

2. Stop Overstocking Essentials

Prior Preparation is Good, but an overstocking pile is a bad idea! Remember by filling up extra in your house you are creating a problem for somebody else. Everybody is in need, plan it up and then buy accordingly. Smart Planning is Required!

Buy according to your need, buying too much of extra will create scarcity which might leave other people without having the things they need in an emergency. Overstocking will definitely secure you but not the ones in need. Therefore, plan accordingly, Stock up the Groceries, Medical items and such other supplies as per the need. If you have a person with any medical condition in your family, then make sure to cross-check if you got the emergency medicines in your hand. Do not forget any items from the list like toiletries, sanitary supplies, household items, frozen food, first aid kit and so on.

3. Don’t Panic, Stop Spreading Wrong Information

The best you can do is stay updated. Spreading misleading info in such crucial state will create stress among the crowd. So stay updated with the right information, do not believe in rumours. To check the current status one can visit the reliable sources website. You can keep an eye on the WHO (World Health Organisation) Website, to get the right information for COVID 19.

4. Don’t ignore the symptoms

The fact about symptoms of Coronavirus are out since long, the virus doesn’t have any vaccination for now. One should be aware of its symptoms so that you know when to seek medical help. As per the information, older people and one with underlying medical issues like- diabetes, asthma, heart diseases are more susceptible to get the virus. And the virus may turn severe for them. No matter young, old, unwell or fit, all of you are requested to take care and follow precautionary measures. A person may feel well for the first 14 days before getting any symptoms if you get symptoms like runny nose, fever, dry cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue you should appoint the doctor. In case you don’t feel good after the medications follow up what your doctor suggests. Don’t panic- One may get any of the symptoms but the result can be negative.

5. Don’t Break the Quarantine

If you are asked to quarantine, then do not break the protocol. As you are suspected to the virus, you need to be protected. Going out will lead the situation to the worst. It is suggested when you are being exposed to any infected person, but don’t develop any symptoms. As COVID 19 symptoms may appear later, thus you are asked to quarantine. In the quarantine period, the person is cross-checked by the medical team, they keep a record of the patient’s health status. If the person feels sicker and tends to develop any symptoms the test is done to ensure if the person is affected by Coronavirus or not.

If you are in self-quarantine, avoid sharing your used items with any of the member staying with you. Maintain physical distance with all the members of your family. Quarantine period lasts for 14 days.