5 Precautions To Protect Yourself From Covid-19

With the onset of the second wave of the COVID - 19 virus hitting the nation at an unprecedented pace, it is extremely necessary for us to take all the precautions at any given time to stay wary from this deadly virus. The casualties and fatalities are being blown out of proportion with each passing day. The following are the precautions as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to curb the spread and control the pandemic:

‍

Wear A Mask

The mask curbs the spread of the infection through the droplets that are released when a person coughs or sneezes. Masks are to be washed or replaced in event of a reuse. Medicated masks, N95 masks and cloth masks used with the medicated masks inside them can be used as the most efficient forms of masking up. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while wearing a mask:

1.  Ensure your hands are sanitized while handling the mask at any time.
2. The purpose of a mask is to cover both the mouth and nose. 
3. Appropriate storage, maintenance and disposal of the mask are essential to make masks as effective as possible.

‍

Maintain Social Distancing

A minimum distance of 1 metre needs to be maintained between people to ensure the control of the spread of the virus. Avoid venturing out into crowded spaces that do not follow the safety protocol as specified by the WHO.

‍

Sanitize Frequently

Good hygiene is a must in the effort to curb this virus. We end up interacting with a large number of surfaces either knowingly or unknowingly on a daily basis. To ensure not picking up the infection from any of those surfaces, it is vital to sanitize frequently. Hands need to be sanitized regularly with an alcohol based rub or washed with soap to ensure the cleansing of germs including viruses that may have been contracted from any of the surfaces.

‍

Good Hygiene Is Key

Disinfect and clean surfaces frequently especially that are regularly touched. These include, door handles, railings, faucets and mobile phones. Ensure house helps and other employees follow all the hygienic protocols to ensure a control of the spread of the infection. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible. The virus can be spread on them from the hands and then enter the body hence causing an infection.

‍

Know Your Symptoms

‍

Knowledge of the infection and its symptoms is key to understanding the illness and taking necessary action. The most common symptoms are fever, dry cough and fatigue. Lesser common symptoms that often affect some patients are loss of taste or smell, aches, sore throat, nasal congestion, skin rash, diarrhoea or red eyes.

On detecting any of these symptoms, self isolate and avoid interaction with anyone to avoid the spread of the infection. If the symptoms are severe and if the fever and cough is coupled with a feeling of breathlessness, seek medical advice from your doctor on the necessary action to be taken. 

‍

Keep yourself updated on the norms given out by the WHO and your local health authorities to be aware of methods of precaution and curbing the spread of this infection.