It is a scary time for the world right now. Many continents are suffering from the Corona virus pandemic. The pandemic’s global death toll has reached almost 5,000, while the global number of cases has surpassed 132,000, according to WHO, which is the health agency of the United Nations. About 68,000 victims have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University, who is tracking the virus.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
There has been a lot of fake news that’s been spreading around the topic and creating panic. In such time, people tend to get influenced and spread fake news.
There are a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to corona virus. You need to be careful while following these things –
Things you should do
Face Masks
There are a lot of face masks out there in the market. The normal surgical masks, the N95 mask, and some others. They are supposed to protect you but not all masks protect you from viruses.
Which mask do you need, why and when you need them?
There are a lot of people out there who are wearing masks for no reason what so ever. People think it’s a protective measure, wherein according to the WHO you should only wear a mask when you are taking care of a sick person or are around one.
The best mask to wear is N95; it is supposed to clear out the air you breathe and have filters that protect you from viruses and bacteria.
Washing or sanitizing hands
How important it is to wash or sanitize your hands? Well earlier it was okay for us to wash our hands when we touch something dirty or dusty. But now as the virus is spreading, we need to be cautious. I make sure I wash my hands whenever I touch any metal or glass or anything outside. I carry a sanitizer (alcohol content 70-95%) with me all the time. That is just a preventive, protective measure. There are many videos online on importance of washing hands to eliminate the bacteria and virus from your hands.
Practice social distancing
If you feel sick, make sure to quarantine yourself, observe your symptoms and make an informed decision. There is a high chance that you will be asymptomatic but r in a few days you will have symptoms that may show that you are affected. Keep yourself isolated so that you do not infect other people.
Don’ts – things not to do
Large Gatherings
For your safe keeping, avoid large gathering. Or any gathering of more than 50 people. It is even better if you avoid ANY gathering at all. If you know anyone who is planning a large gathering like that, advice them to postpone it to another time. Even the Government of India has put a ban on any gathering of more than 50 people and people are adviced to stay at home for their own safe keeping.
Following fake news/whatsapp forwards
You would all agree about the bizarre whatsapp forwards that we all get. And how crazy it is that people actually believe them. WHO has said don’t bother:
eating garlic
gargling mouthwash
rinsing your nose with saline
using sesame oil under the nose
Stay away from all of these fake “cures” and since most of us are staying home, invest in something that can clean your air of dust and is proven to kill Corona viruses with million other viruses like the QNET Zensational air purifier
At the end I would just like to say, stay safe and take care. It’s a very difficult time for all of us.