Month: April 2021

How to Protect Yourself From COVID-19?

With more than 90,000 fresh infections, India is currently witnessing a sudden surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. However, the good news is that more than 65 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered so far. Vaccine drive offers a beacon of hope despite a surge in daily new cases. But we are still very much in the middle of a pandemic and it’s crucial to follow all the precautions meant to check the spread of COVID-19 and not let our guard down.

COVID-19 can spread more easily. It survives in the air and on surfaces long enough for an individual to contract it. It can also be acquired by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching an object or a surface that has the virus on it. COVID-19 multiplies faster in the body even if one doesn’t have any symptoms. Similarly, the virus can be transmitted by an individual without any symptoms at all.

Some people experience severe COVID-19 symptoms, whereas others experience none to mild symptoms. To prevent contracting and spreading COVID-19, here are some guidelines that you can follow:

1. Wash your hands frequently – One of the first and most important things one can do to avoid COVID-19 is by washing their hands frequently and carefully. Wash your hands using warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. If you cannot wash your hands, then use a hand sanitizer. Follow this practice a few times a day, especially after touching anything including your phone or laptop.
2. Stop shaking hands or hugging anyone – Skin-to-skin contact can transmit the virus from one person to another. Hence, avoid touching anybody by shaking their hands or hugging them.
3. Avoid touching your face – COVID-19 virus can live on some surfaces such as cell phones or doorknobs, for up to three days. Hence, avoid touching any part of your head or face, especially your mouth, eyes, or nose. Also, avoid biting your fingernails as the virus can enter your body from your hands.
4. Cover your mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing – The virus is found in high amounts in the mouth and nose, meaning it can be carried by air droplets to other people while sneezing, coughing or even talking. The air droplets could also land on hard surfaces and stay there for up to 72 hours. Hence, cover your mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing with a tissue or by using your elbow to keep your hands clean. Also, wash your hands thoroughly after you cough or sneeze.
5. Avoid sharing personal items – Personal items such as combs, makeup or phones can spread the virus, hence avoid sharing them with anyone else. Also, avoid sharing utensils and straws.
6. Clean surfaces – Regularly clean hard surfaces in your home such as toys, door handles, furniture and countertops using alcohol-based disinfectants. Also, clean items such as laptops and phones that you regularly use throughout the day. If you bring packages or groceries from outside, then make sure to
properly disinfect every item.
7. Maintain social distancing – COVID-19 virus can be found in high amounts in your spit if you are carrying it, even if you are asymptomatic. Try to stay at home and work from home, if possible. If you must go out for necessities,
make sure to maintain a 6 feet distance from other people, as the virus can spread even by speaking to someone else. Wear a mask whenever outside to prevent the virus from spreading.
8. Avoid gathering in groups – Avoid going to crowded places including places of worship, as standing too close to someone can lead the virus to spread. Also avoid going to places such as coffee shops, bars or restaurants as the virus can be transmitted through food, dishes, cups and other utensils. It can also be temporarily airborne from other people present there. If you must consume food from outside, have it delivered and make sure that the food is thoroughly cooked and can be reheated.
9. Self-quarantine if sick – If you are experiencing any symptoms, call your doctor and stay at home until you recover. Isolate yourself away from loved ones to prevent the virus from spreading.

It is possible to protect yourself from COVID-19 if these guidelines are religiously followed. Germanten Hospital is a non-COVID hospital and every safety measure is being taken to protect our patients as well as staff members. All staff members and patients wear masks at all times and all staff members are screened daily.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, the best strategy for protecting yourself and your family is to follow the public health guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These measures such as wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, practicing physical distancing, and avoiding crowds will help prevent COVID-19 transmission.

If someone in your family has Coronavirus, has flu-like symptoms, or is waiting for their test results, it is best to take stringent measures at home. Even if you are not sure whether someone has the Coronavirus or not, they must stay at home or seek medical care immediately. This will ensure that the virus doesn’t spread to other people.

What can you do at home?

If someone at your home is sick, here is how you can protect others:

● Keep them isolated and away from other family members as well as pets as much as possible.
● When you are going near them, make sure that you cover your face with a mask. These masks are useful for people over 2 years old who don’t have any trouble breathing. You should not leave a child alone with the infected person even if the former is wearing a face mask.
● Cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue and then throw it away. Wash your hands immediately. Use soap and water for 20 seconds. If you don’t have these, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
● If possible, make the sick person stay in a separate bedroom and use a separate bathroom.
● Use separate glasses, cups, and dishes and make sure that these are not shared with other members. Once the sick person has eaten, wash the dishes with hot soapy water.
● Use separate towels and bedding for the sick person and do not share these with anyone else.
● If the sick person is unable to cover their face with a mask, you, as a caregiver, must wear one at all times while being in the same room.
● Make sure that there is good air flow in the shared spaces. You can either turn on an air conditioner or air filter or open a window.
● Don’t have visitors inside your house unless they need to be in your home.
● The clothing, towels, and bedding of the sick person must be washed at the highest possible temperature with detergent. Use gloves while handling their laundry and wash your hands afterward.
● Wipe the things in your house that get touched frequently such as doorknobs, phones, toys, sink handles, remote controls, and counters.

How to protect other people?

In order to ensure that the virus isn’t spread to other people, here are a few things that you can do:
● The sick person must stay at home at all times; the only exception being visiting a hospital.
● Other family members should stay at home as well. Make sure that you follow instructions about how long the sick person and other family members have to stay inside the home.
● If you have to go out of the house for some reason, keep your face covered with a face mask and maintain at least 2 meters or 6 feet distance between yourself and other people.

When should you call a doctor?

If the sick person isn’t getting better or is getting worse, you must contact the doctor immediately. You have to tell them about their symptoms as well as when they were tested for the virus. If you have to take them to the hospital, here are a few things to keep in mind:
● Make sure that their face is covered with a mask.
● Keep some tissues ready in case they want to sneeze or cough.
If they are feeling confused, drowsy, or have trouble breathing, you must take them to the ER immediately.

What else should you know about?

If you are taking care of someone who has been tested positive for the Coronavirus or is showing symptoms, you have to keep following precautions until your doctor says otherwise. However, this can get pretty boring and lonely for kids who are either sick or have sick family members. As they are separated from their friends, family, and classmates, there are certain things they can do to feel better:
● Make a video call to their friends
● Play online video games with other kids
● Use messaging apps to talk to their friends and family
● Play board games. Make sure that these toys are clean and far away from the sick person.


Apart from this, all you can do is keep yourself updated about the coronavirus from reliable websites like the World Health Organizationb> or Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.