WHO declared the Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. What does this outbreak mean for you and how can you protect yourself against it? The horrifying reality that signs of Coronavirus do not start showing 2-14 days after exposure puts an added responsibility on all of us to take precautionary measures.
Before jumping to the preventive measures, let’s throw some light on the signs.
Symptoms of Coronavirus
Among the most common ones are:
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent pain in the chest
- Inability to arouse
- Bluish face or lips
- Sore throat
Note: A sore throat is also a symptom of mouth cancer. However, you should not confuse a sore throat with a sign that you have mouth cancer unless you have other serious symptoms showing up as well.
Precautionary Measures
Although there is no cure for the virus as yet, experts across the world introduced us with a list of preventive measures. Adopting these will help ensure that we limit the spread of Coronavirus. Make all of the following actions a part of your daily routine:
Washing Hands Regularly
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Each session should last at least twenty minutes. You should repeat this practice as much as possible. For times when the soap or hand wash might be out of reach, keep a hand sanitizer with you. Alcohol-based sanitizers are the only effective ones. Read the label and purchase the ones with at least 60% alcohol. Investing in any other would be a waste of your money.
Avoid touching your nose, eyes or mouth with unwashed hands.
Disinfecting Surfaces
Clean your mobile phones, desks, work stations or any other surfaces you are likely to come in contact with, with a disinfectant. Alcohol swabs are good disinfectants.
Social Distancing
The pandemic gave birth to a new term- social distancing. This implies that you should avoid public places as much as you can. This includes your gym. Many countries have shut down schools and universities already. Avoid hanging out in eateries and bars. Do not come into close contact with people. This means that you should not shake hands with people or hug them. Maintaining a safe distance of around 5’ is advised.
If you see that a person is sick, stay away from him. You should also stay home if you are sick. Only leave your house for medical care.
It is essential to highlight that social distancing can have adverse effects on you and your kids’ mental health. Therefore, look for indoor activities for yourselves and your little ones.
Wear a Facemask
Wear a mask if you go out or are in a place with a lot of people. You never know who is a carrier. Also, cover your face with the mask if you are sick or you are caring for a person who is. The supply of facemasks may be limited in certain regions. Saving them for caregivers should be a priority.
Cover Your Sneezes and Coughs
Ideally, you should cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing. If a tissue is not available, you should cough or sneeze inside your elbow. It is recommended to throw the used tissues apart from washing hands immediately after coughing or sneezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the most asked Signs of Coronavirus related questions answered for you below:
Are antibiotics effective in treating Coronavirus?
Antibiotic help to treat bacterial infections. Since Coronavirus happens to be a viral infection, antibiotics won’t help.
How can one prevent Coronavirus?
Washing hands regularly, social distancing and disinfecting surfaces are some precautionary measures that can help limit the spread.
Are masks helpful?
A mask alone is of no use if you are not washing your hands at regular intervals, and the mask does not cover your nose and mouth properly. Also, look for any holes and tears in your mask. Their presence will make the mask ineffective.
Who is more likely to be affected by the virus?
Older people apart from people having chronic illnesses are at a greater risk of getting affected by Coronavirus.
Is there a vaccine for Coronavirus?
Not as yet. But a lot of research is on progress to create one.
What is the treatment for Coronavirus?
There is no medication (as yet) that can help treat the virus.
Can Coronavirus cause death?
Depending on the symptoms, age of an individual and his health, Signs of Coronavirus may or may not cause death.
