How to Protect Yourself From Coronavirus (COVID-19) (SARS-CoV-2)?

Unless you live under a rock, you must be aware of the novel coronavirus. It is now SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19. Like Spanish flu, this too is going to be there in the minds of people for the years to come. It is fast spreading like a wildfire the world over. There is no WHO categorization to term a worldwide spread a pandemic. But, the WHO chief termed COVID-19 a pandemic today. So It is a looming danger now. How to protect yourself from coronavirus? What precautionary measures should you take to safeguard your family? Come, let us see.

How severe is the coronavirus disease?

This novel coronavirus causes severe respiratory tract infection. It makes breathing very difficult. Hence oxygen absorption becomes poor. Thus it cripples the function of many organs of the body right from the heart. Death follows. Children, old-age people, people with existing diseases or low immunity are susceptible.

What are the stages of the spread of coronavirus?

In a country where there is an outbreak, there are four stages of transmission. They are:

1. Source or first appearance.
2. Local spread.
3. Community transmission.
4. Epidemic or widespread outbreak.

Source or first appearance

This is the beginning stage. The origin or the first source either could be an animal/bird to human transmission or travelers. The travelers traveled back in the incubation period from an affected country. Or even with an infection or asymptomatic. The number of infected persons at this stage is low. The history of infected persons is traceable.

Local spread

The second stage is when the abovesaid carriers pass the infection to their contacts. Family, friends, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, colleagues, and fellow commuters are all susceptible. Yet, history is still traceable. Exposed persons have to go into isolation. Infected persons receive treatment.

Community transmission

In the third stage, the infection spreads to the public. It is hard to trace the source of the transmission. The disease manifests in random individuals. The infected persons might not have come in contact with the source or the travelers. There will be several such clusters of infection. It is difficult to contain the spread in this stage and break the infection chain.

Epidemic or widespread outbreak

The fourth stage is catastrophic and lethal. The transmission occurs like a wildfire. The spread covers the whole country, becomes uncontrollable, and becomes an epidemic. Thousands of new infections will show up daily and thousands dead. Hospitals will find it hard to accommodate the patients. There is going to be a scarcity of healthcare resources howsoever rich a country may be. The healthcare infrastructure gets stretched beyond the limits. Doctors have to decide. On whom to give more attention and whom to leave to die.

How does coronavirus spread?

By now you know that once the virus gets in, it begins working to choke your airway and lungs. Serious breathing problems begin once the incubation period is over. Runny nose, fever, diarrhea, dry cough. All these symptoms may occur together or in combination. The symptoms are flu-like. People with immunity remain asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.

Beforehand, the virus can reach your airway tract in either of the two ways. You inhale it straight away from the air. Or you touch any object that has snot droplets sprayed. You then take your hand to the nose, mouth, or eyes. Microscopic mucus droplets – the aerosols – spray out when an infected person sneezes, coughs, speaks or exhales. The ejected microscopic snot droplets (aerosols) will be present in the air up to 4 meters from patients. The aerosols travel as far as 20 meters downstream or in places like a closed air-conditioned hall. Under ideal conditions, this new coronavirus stays alive for days altogether. Cinema halls, classrooms, restaurants, pubs, clubs, parks, stadia, social gatherings, cabs, buses, trains, flights. What else? All public places are vulnerable.

The average adult touches his face sixteen times an hour. Imagine what other things a patient with a runny nose will touch. Doorknobs, handles, curtains, locks, glasses, vessels, faucets, handgrips. Tools, desks, tables, chairs, keyboard, mouse, cellphone, remotes. Light switches, clothes, footwear, toilet seats. A myriad of other things in an eight-hour shift at the workplace or in public places and vehicles! Everywhere. All over. At places or things that you wouldn’t even imagine! You touch anywhere and take the hand to nose, mouth, or eyes. Boom!

How to protect yourself from coronavirus?

First of all, you need to understand that there is no vaccine developed thus far. Nor any standard proven treatment regimen prescribed by any medical association. Treatment and cure is thus trial and error.

Thus, it is up to the government to avert an endemic. The government has to close the borders and ports to prevent the entry of foreign travelers. This has economic implications. Hence the governments are either skeptical or reluctant. It is upon you to take adequate precautions to not getting yourself and your family infected.

The incubation period after exposure varies from 2 to 14 days. As such, you don’t know who got compromised. From the looks, you don’t know who is a carrier.

So, the best way to protect yourself from coronavirus is isolation and hygiene. You have to seclude yourself to home. If unavoidable, maintain social distancing from other people.

1. If possible, telecommute.
2. Avoid crowds. This way you will be avoiding going near an infected person.
3. Do not touch your nose, mouth, or eyes with hands. Wash your hands with soap for twenty seconds at least once an hour.
4. Hand sanitizer is an alternative. But know the limitations.
5. Use facial masks and hand gloves.
6. Try to build up immunity by having fruits and vegetables that have Vitamin C, zinc, amino acids and iron. Have good, 8-hour, night sleep.
7. Prefer cooked foods. Wash fruits or vegetables if taken raw.

A word about the facial masks and gloves

Note that the masks are foolproof only if they are tight at the periphery without any leakage. In other words, the usual facial masks that we often see are more beneficial for patients. If a patient is using it, the mask stops the mucus droplets said above from spraying.

For a person without infection, the N95 respirator is the best thing to wear. It is not viable now to go for N95 masks.

So make sure the mask you wear is tight, layered, and leak proof. A tight handkerchief or a homemade mask is the next best option. Provided you burn them after use. Else, disinfect, wash, sundry, and reuse. Take care to not touch the outer surface before disinfection.

Similar precautions apply to the use of gloves too. You shouldn’t touch your eyes, mouth or nose with a gloved hand. Discard or disinfect the gloves too as said above for masks.

Will I be safe with lockdown?

If the government declares a lockdown, it is the best thing it can do. So stick to it. Cooperate with the government’s directives. Have at least a month’s groceries stocked at home. Lock yourself and your family at home. Children below 10 years and elders beyond 60 years are the most susceptible. They have a weak immune response. Do not let them out to fetch essentials or for anything for that matter.

Cut down unnecessary expenditure. Keep a month’s cash ready at hand. The emergency money could find use.

Plan errands to meet all the needs in one go. Run errands only once a week to fetch essentials. When you have to run an errand, wear a mask. Once back home, clean your phone and keys with disinfectants. Wash your clothes and sundry them. Burn the mask. Wash and sundry it if it is reusable. Have a good bath.

Conclusion

Like the Spanish flu that went down in history claiming millions of lives, this too must pass as COVID-19 or coronavirus. But, you need to survive. It is 10 times deadlier than the 2009 swine flu (H1N1) pandemic. So, you are clear how dangerous the coronavirus disease is. And you know how to protect yourself from coronavirus. Abide by the guidelines said above. Abide by the guidelines issued by the health authorities then and there. Stay healthy. Keep safe. Take care. Should you have any further doubt, begin your search from the WHO FAQs.