How to Protect Yourself From Coronavirus

• More than two million cases of Coronavirus have been registered worldwide.
• According to the World Health Organization, overdrinking can actually make the symptoms of COVID-19 more serious if infected. 
• Older people are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill if infected with COVID-19. 
• Older people who have underlying medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease, are the most vulnerable demographic and are likely to become severely ill if infected. 

1. What is COVID- 19 And How Can I Protect Myself?

Coronavirus Disease 2019, more commonly known as COVID-19, is a viral infection first reported in China in the late 2019.
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March 2020, and since the breakout, every major global health institution including the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been actively involved in tracking, reporting, and controlling the spread of the virus.
These organizations have been very active in offering recommendations for managing the disease in large populations and treating it as well.   
COVID-19 is transmitted through physical contact, or by coming into contact with respiratory droplets that have been released through coughing and/or sneezing.
Open surfaces can hold the virus for several days, which further increases the risk of transmission especially through public transport and common social settings such as restaurants, movie theatres, libraries, etc.

A vaccine is not currently available, and no medication has been recommended for treatment. 
Health experts recommend staying at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
 

2. What Are the Symptoms of Coronavirus?

COVID-19 symptoms range from mild to severe, and normally involves colds and flu, with very high temperatures.
Fever is the most commonly reported symptom, but other symptoms have been reported. These include:

• Sore throat
• Chills
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of smell and taste 
• Headache
• Chest pain

The majority of people who get infected with COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms which go away within a few weeks.
However, individuals who have existing respiratory diseases are likely to experience severe illness from COVID-19.
Younger people, in general, have shown resilience against the virus, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t get very sick if you get infected. 
 

3. Here’s What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Others

The Coronavirus can live on surfaces for days, which potentially makes it highly contagious when we interact with other people who may be carrying it.
Contaminated door handles or plastered walls can carry the virus for up to 96 hours. Items such as a computer mouse and keyboard can also carry the virus for up to four days – and normally these are contaminated surfaces anyways, so if there’s a time to avoid sharing these items, it’s now.
Try to adopt good hygiene if you haven’t already, and pay attention to your routine, noting all the common areas that may harbour the virus.
Clean your house regularly using plenty of soap and water, and for your hands, carry an alcohol-based sanitizer. 
According to the World Health Organization and other relevant health institutions, one of the easiest ways to curb the spread of COVID-19 is to wash your hands.

Do this many times a day if you’re going out and meeting people, and use soap with flowing water. 
Here are five more things you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:
 

a. Avoid Close Contact with Others

Be aware of the people you come in contact with, and watch out for people who are coughing or sneezing.

The ideal social distancing rule is to keep a two-meter distance between you and other people.

We know that this isn’t always possible, but it can help prevent infection. 

b. Don’t Touch Your Eyes, Nose, or Mouth

This is how the virus actually infects people.

If you touch your nose regularly as a habit, this can make it easier to get infected with COVID-19.

The same is true for eyes and mouth, and since you won’t keep track of who touched the doorknobs, taps, or other surfaces, we recommend that you stop that habit of touching your face. 

c. Practice Respiratory Hygiene

When coughing or sneezing, reduce the spread of respiratory droplets by covering your mouth with a tissue, or if you don’t have one, coughing into the crook of your arm.

You shouldn’t go out if you have a cough or cold, but if you do, try as much as possible to keep other people safe.

Throw used tissues in the trash and wash your hands, or use a hand sanitizer. 

d. Cover Your Mouth And Nose With a Face Mask When Going Out

A face mask protects the people around you in case you are infected with COVID-19.

It should, however, only be used by people who are conscious and able to remove it.

Don’t place a face mask on children under 2 years, or individuals who are incapacitated, or unconscious. 

e. Clean and disinfect all the areas

In your home and office that are touched frequently and this includes doorknobs, keyboards, phones, toilets, sinks, countertops, switches, and so on.

Use a common EPA-registered detergent and frequently spray an alcohol-based solution to prevent the virus from spreading. 

4. What to Do If You Feel Sick

If you suspect you may have Croronavirus, contact your doctor or nearest hospital and wait for someone to come to get you.
If you can go to a hospital, let them know early on and follow their recommendations.
As this health crisis evolves, new information is constantly coming out, and this means that you need to stay updated with the latest reports to avoid getting the virus and spreading it.
So again, if you feel sick:

• Call a doctor, and 
• Stay at home.  

 
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