It’s important to stay on top of latest information the COVID-19 outbreak. While COVID-19 has been extremely prevalent in China, there have been many new outbreak cases in the last several weeks in other countries. Most people who become infected report experiencing mild illness and recover not too long after. In more severe cases the recovery period can be longer. The best thing you can do is take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:
- Wash your hands often: Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water throughout the day. Using an alcohol-based hand rub is a good alternative if you don’t have access to soap and water. By taking these precautionary steps, you can help kill viruses that may be on your hands, which helps stop any viruses from spreading.
- Limit Your Social Interaction: It’s a good idea to maintain a good distance between yourself and other people, especially those who have been coughing or sneezing. When someone coughs or sneezes, the small spray from their nose or mouth spreads throughout the surrounding area, which may contain a virus. When you are close to them, you can breathe in those droplets, which may unknowingly contain the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing is infected with the disease.
- Avoid Touching Your Face: Our hands touch many surfaces compared to any other part of our body and they can easily pick up viruses. Once contaminated, your hands can transmit the virus to your eyes, nose, or mouth. This gives the virus access to your body and can make you sick.
- Maintain Good Hygiene: Make sure you and those around you are following good respiratory hygiene. This requires you to cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow, or preferably a tissue, when you cough or sneeze. You should then toss the used tissue immediately. Remember, these small droplets are what spreads the virus. By following good respiratory cleanliness, you shield the people around you from any viruses.
- Seek Medical Health: If you haven’t been feeling well, it’s a good idea to stay home. You should especially stay low if you have a fever, cough, or have been having difficulty breathing. If you have been experiencing any of these, please seek medical attention and call in advance. The best thing you can do is to follow the directions of your local health authority, including national and local authorities. They will be able to provide us with the most up-to-date information for your area. This can be the best thing to help protect you and help prevent the virus from spreading.
Check out these other resources for more information:
Red Cross
Center for Disease Control
United States Department of Labor
New York Times
BBC News
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