Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Preventing The Spread of Coronavirus, Op-ed


Thu 04 Jun 2020 | 10:09 AM
NaDa Mustafa

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly advancing across the globe despite drastic public and personal health measures. The worldwide death toll has passed 384,462. The number of confirmed cases is more than 6.5 million.

Current methods of pandemic control are confined only to public containment and private hygiene measures, while there are yet no established antiviral treatments and vaccine development may take as long as 18 months away.

People can take steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus and help protect themselves and others.

Handwashing

Regular handwashing is one of the main ways to help prevent the transmission of coronavirus. It’s common sense and it works. However, it must be done properly and with soap and water. When soap and water are not available, the next best option is to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Proper handwashing not only reduces the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), it can prevent the spread of other viral illnesses such as cold and flu. Handwashing also reduces the risk of getting other easily spread infections, such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).

Steps of handwashing: wet your hands and apply enough liquid soap to create a good lather, rub Palms together, rub the back of hands, interlink your fingers, cup your fingers, clean the thumbs and rub palms with your fingers.

Washing your hands for 20 seconds is effective in killing germs. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol) is helpful in protecting against the spread of germs and viruses. However, handwashing with soap and water is still the best.

Avoiding Touching the Face

People should avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with their hands, especially if they are unwashed. This can help limit the spread of germs and reduce the likelihood of them getting sick.

It is estimated that people touch their faces about 23 times per hour! When you touch your face with dirty, unwashed hands, viruses can take up residence in your mucous membranes which can lead to an infection.

The hands come into contact with several surfaces throughout the day, and they may pick up viruses this way. COVID-19 can remain on certain surfaces for up to 3 days.

A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus, and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like daycare centers, offices, and hospitals.

Social Distancing

Coronaviruses can be spread when people with the virus have close, sustained contact with people who are not infected. This typically means spending more than 15 minutes within two meters of an infected person, such as talking to someone for instance.

People should take care to avoid coming into close contact with others — especially those who are older, unwell, or have symptoms of the virus.

Maintain at least 1-meter distance between yourself and others. When someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain viruses. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person has the disease.

Do not gather in groups. Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings. Avoid contact with anyone who is not a member of the household. People at higher risk may also need to take extra precautions, such as self-isolating by staying at home.

Prevention in the Household

The most valuable prevention method for the household is keeping all surfaces clean. A person should clean all surfaces that people touch regularly, including light switches, door handles, and countertops. To do so, they can use water and household detergent. For surfaces that are visibly dirty, a person may wish to use a detergent and then a disinfectant.

If a person in the household develops COVID-19, you can take the following steps to help prevent it from spreading: staying in a separate room or bedroom, using a separate bathroom if possible, cleaning, and disinfecting bathroom surfaces after using them, wearing a face mask when using communal areas. Try not to share food and drink with people who do not have the illness and wearing gloves while cleaning and disinfecting any shared surfaces.

Prevention in the Workplace

Employers and workers can reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission in the workplace by: cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces regularly, encouraging regular hand-washing by putting up posters, supplying hand sanitizer, and providing access to soap and water, communicating clearly to employees that people will need to stay at home if they display any symptoms of COVID-19, even if they are mild and getting employees to work from home whenever possible. It is best to provide employees with disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces can be wiped down before each use.

It is recommended that employees that have symptoms of acute respiratory illness stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever, signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines. Use conference calls to hold meetings, rather than meeting face to face, when possible.

How and When to Use Face Masks

Face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as frequent hand-washing and social distancing, help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

A surgical mask protects the wearer's nose and mouth from contact with droplets, splashes and sprays that may contain germs. A surgical mask also filters out large particles in the air. Surgical masks may protect others by reducing exposure to the saliva and respiratory secretions of the mask wearer.

You must know how to use it and dispose of it properly. Before touching the mask or the face, wash the hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Make sure that the mask covers the nose and mouth, with no gaps between the face and the mask. While wearing the mask, avoid touching it. If a person does touch the mask while wearing it, they should wash the hands again. Avoid reusing single-use masks. Replace a mask if it becomes damp. Remove the mask by lifting the string at the back, rather than by touching the front. Discard used masks immediately into a closed garbage bin, then wash the hands again.

While surgical and N95 masks are in short supply and must be reserved for health care providers, cloth masks are easy to find and can be washed and reused.

Asking everyone to wear cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don't realize it. And countries that required face masks, testing, isolation, and social distancing early in the pandemic seem to have had some success slowing the spread of the virus. Cloth masks are cheap and simple to make.

Don't put masks on anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious or otherwise unable to remove the mask without help. Don't put masks on children under 2 years of age. Don't use face masks as a substitute for social distancing.