How to prepare yourself for coronavirus?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading across the globe. Delhi confirmed its first case today. While we should be cautious of the outbreak, panicking won’t do any good. It is important to be aware that most coronavirus cases are mild and may appear like the flu. Moreover, the news that many patients who recovered could still be infectious brings in a fresh wave of panic.
Zhao Jianping who is working in the coronavirus containment team said there are a minority of patients who were discharged after having tested negative were later tested positive again. Highlighting the process of diagnosis, China takes into account the positive outcome of throat or nose swabs in a nucleic acid test along with CT scans that show lesions in the lungs - these cases are considered infected. While the criteria to decide which patient has recovered slightly varies across provinces, patients who test negative in two consecutive tests with no visible symptoms are said to have recovered. The patients who are released are asked to undergo retesting, which may come positive again.
So what is it that we can do? According to experts, everyone can follow the below hygiene steps to safeguard themselves:
- Stay away from sick people
- Practice good hand hygiene and keep it clean
- Educate everyone to cough and sneeze into tissues or their elbows
- Get your family the flu shot
- Prepare your family about the disease and communicate
- Plan your vacation wisely. You may want to put travel plans on hold for now
- Last but not the least, keep your immunity up!
There are millions of people who are under lockdown in China and the virus is spreading across the globe. According to a recent statement by Zhao, "The most difficult period of the spread of the coronavirus has passed in Hubei… But we need to stay vigilant, because the number of confirmed cases could bounce back again if we relax the current measures too much."
- 02-Mar-2020
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