Spread COVID-19 Awareness
The new Coronavirus known as COVID-19 is spreading in almost all the countries around the globe and the World Health Organization has characterized it as a pandemic on March 11th, 2020.
The word pandemic doesnât mean âgo panicâ, tho. The WHO Director-General said âWHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death. Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHOâs assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesnât change what WHO is doing, and it doesnât change what countries should do. We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.â
What theyâre asking is for you to be aware it is not a âsimple fluâ (despite in many cases the symptoms can be very similar), so that means you have to take some important precautions because it can (not will, but can) turn out to be deadly in certain cases.
Please read this page to get informed on the main things about this virus.
Whatâs a Coronavirus and how COVID-19 fits the Coronaviruses family
Which are the symptoms that make you understand youâve got the virus and you have to reach medical assistance asap
How can you prevent to get infected and protect yourself
Do not wait for the government of your country to call for an emergency status and a general quarantine, start being aware of the methods of protection and how to deal with the situation by yourself.
Do not panic as if itâs the deadliest of the viruses because itâs not and in actually the majority of cases people do not get complications.
The previous point doesnât mean you have to ignore the spreading of the virus. This COVID-19 spreads easily and quickly (a sneeze from an infected person can infect all the other people around that get in touch with the little droplets that come out from the mouth).Â
It is fundamental that you follow WHOâs advices for protection:
1) Wash your hands frequently (when you get home, when you touch stuff thatâs been in contact with the outside of your house, do yourself a favor and wash them very frequently and for 20 seconds â you can sing the chorus Britney Spearâs âOne More Timeâ or the âHappy Birthdayâ song).
2) Keep your hands clean also outside your house by using an alcohol-based hands-cleaning gel. Hands are one of the main vehicle for the virus to access our breathing system because they get in touch with nose, mouth and eyes very often.
3) Maintain social distance (at least 1 meter, or more) from other people, avoid kissing and hugging others and touching them. When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
4) Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with hands in any case and as much as you can.
5) Practice respiratory hygiene meaning do not cough/sneeze in the air but do it covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately in a trash can with a bag that needs to be closed.
6) If you have fever, high temperature, dry cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care quickly but avoid staying in contact with other people as you may be infected and you could infect them too.
It is also fundamental that you start a âquarantineâ anyway by yourself, meaning that you deliberately choose to stay safe and sound in your house and go out only for necessary/important stuff such as buying meds/food and when you go out you are very careful. Itâs not said to scare people but since thereâs high chance that the virus spreads quickly, it is safer to observe a period (some weeks/a month/until the pandemic starts slowing) of careful quarantine.Â
Donât panic and start thinking weâre at war and need all the supplies because supermarket/pharmacies wonât be affected by the virus and will be there when youâll carefully get out of your house to go buy food. So donât raid pharmacies/supermarkets, itâs pointless.
Stay in your home as much as you can, watch movies, make puzzles, catch up on tv shows, paint, sing, play games, do whatever in your house but go outside as less as you can.
Avoid any kind of crowded place, do not attend shows/parades with a lot of people because itâs the best way to get easily exposed.
If youâre a worker and youâre not allowed to be absent from workplace bring with you your hands-cleaning gel, stay away from people/maintain distance, do not cough/sneeze in the air. Of course thereâll be more chances to be infected but respecting those rules above will help you avoid it too. And when you get home, you need to wash your hands of course.
If you have relatives/friends that are older people and/or with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, previously diagnosed breathing problems, or immunosuppressed people they are more likely to develop serious illness and get critical so tell them to stay safe in their houses and help them have less contact possible with the outside.
Only check verified/competent sources to keep up with the details of the virus spreading in the world, and avoid media that act like the world is ending.
a)Â World Health Organization updates situation reports all over the world on a daily basis with a detailed report. You can also check the official health-care sites of your country for a more updated insight of the place where you live.
b) Worldometer keeps track of numbers using verified sources.
Donât be a stupid and think since youâre not in danger you can do what you want, cooperate with everyone and respect all the rules. China was the place where it all started but the rigid system and the precautions had a good effect and the numbers are talking. Iâm aware not every country has Chinaâs rigid system but Iâm also faithful that thereâs no need of imposing rules to people as these precautions are something that itâs in the interest of everyone and so everyone should be respecting them and not acting like they do not care.
Youâll help the containment of the virus and youâll help slowing the contagion that now itâs interesting almost the whole globe, in some parts more, in others less.
Youâll help hospitals that wonât be able to afford at some point taking in intensive care too many people in critical conditions and that will be a huge problem.
Youâll be safer by staying at home and if youâre one of the ones that arenât at risk (young people, people with no particular diseases) but can still get infected/infect others even if they donât show symptoms youâll avoid infecting people that are at risk, instead.
We can and will do this together.
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