The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that is spreading exponentially, and doubling every third day, has got most governments grappling with the serious healthcare issue. The spread can be prevented, public health professionals say, if people practice frequent hand-washing and social distancing.
How Coronavirus Spreads:
Covid-19 is a respiratory virus that spreads when mucus or droplets containing the virus from an infected person gets into your body through your nose, eyes or mouth. This transfer of virus into your body happens when you either inhale the virus when a person infected with the virus sneezes or coughs near you and the other way you get this virus into your body is through contact with your hands.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth:
Your hands are your connection to the world. You shake hands, go to public lavatories, touch doorknobs, or the counter in pharmacies. That’s the way you get a lot of things on to your hands and then into your body. A recent study in the US shows that a typical person on an average touches his/her face 90 times in a day, without even thinking. People don’t realize how frequently they touch their face. When you touch your face the virus on your hand can get into your body through your eyes, nose or mouth. So the great big takeaway is ‘do not touch your face.’
How To Protect Yourself:
As there is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. According to UNICEF, “during a global pandemic, one of the cheapest, easiest, and most important ways to prevent the spread of a virus is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water.”
Clean your hands often:
Wash your hands often with soap and water especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 70% 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.
Everything you need to know about how to wash your hands correctly:
According to experts, most people do not wash their hands properly. To eliminate all traces of virus from your hands, follow the five simple steps.
- Step 1: Put both your hands under clean, running tap water until they are completely wet.
- Step 2: Apply soap generously to cover both the hands.
- Step 3: Rub both your hands together to build up lather and scrub all surfaces including between the fingers, under the nails, back of your hands and a bit of the wrists - for at least 20 seconds.
- Step 4: Rinse your hands thoroughly under running water and gently wash away the soap.
- Step 5: Dry your hands completely with a single-use disposable paper towel or air dryer.
