Protecting your family and yourself
from coronavirus
In this brochure we have collected recommendations on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19. Following these simple rules can keep you safe during the time of the pandemic. Stick to them and stay healthy! Disclaimer: All the materials in this brochure are taken from the newsportal Meduza. Thecontentsare translated intoEnglish and considered adapted according to the Creative Commons CC BY license.
Contents
1. Pandemic awareness 2. Importance of self-isolation 3. Safety measures outside 4. The right way to wash your hands 5. Staying at home sick 6. #staysafe
Where can you find the information about the pandemic? 1
To keep in touch with what is going on and feel protected, you have to be informed. So, what kind of information can you trust though? The information from the right sources. These are credible: ■ The World Health Organization (WHO) regularly publishes new materials on COVID-19. ■ You can also visit the website of the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where you can also find a lot of useful tips. ■ Credible sources in languages other than English are listed here. Credible sources DO NOT include, for example, social media or posts from people who recovered from COVID-19. Their opinions and interpretations can be highly subjective.
How to decrease the spread of the infection? 2
The only answer is self-isolation. Try not to leave home, practice social distancing, work fromhome, avoid public places, and cancel mass events. This doesn’t mean that the danger of the new coronavirus infection is just as serious as it was with smallpox or plague. It is considered that such measures will lower the burden for healthcare systems, as they weren’t ready for the rapidly increasing number of patients. It is also possible that as a result we would have fewer people from the risk group get sick as they wouldn’t get infected by younger generations with stronger immune systems.
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How to keep yourself safe outside? If you have to leave the house, observe safety precautions. The new coronavirus infection (SARS-CoV-2) seems to transfer through the air: a person coughs, and drops of slime land on unprotected body parts of other people (eyes, nose, mouth etc.). COVID-19 can also transfer through dirty objects: at first a sick person rubs their nose and touches a handrail, then a healthy person holds it and touches their face. There is a set of easy rules, which would help to keep you from other people and other people from you if you are an asymptomatic carrier of the virus: ■ do not use public transport during rush hour; ■ stand at least one meter away from other people; ■ ensure appropriate ventilation;
■ ensure appropriate ventilation; disinfect the surfaces which different people touch (e.g., tables or door knobs); ■ minimize sharing of personal stuff; ■ wash your hands; ■ do not touch your face with dirty hands; ■ sneeze and cough the right way—into a tissue or your elbow. You do not need masks—those are only for healthcare workers and people who take care of patients at home. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) considers it wrong to use masks in other cases: during the times of deficit there is no access to them for those people who really need them. WHO also pleads to use themwisely because of the mask shortage worldwide. Besides, masks can give people a false feeling of protection and, as a result, they would neglect other precautions. There are no official recommendations to wear masks to avoid infecting other people, while the deficit is a one hundred percent real thing.
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How to wash your hands properly? Keeping your personal hygiene is a must, especially at the time of a pandemic. This is why you have to follow recommendations for washing your hands, as suggested by WHO:
Wet your hands with water (any water temperature will do).
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Apply liquid soap or use a soap bar. By the way, there is no real difference between
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liquid soap and bars, but it would be great to keep your soap bar in a soap dish with holes. Antibacterial soap is not recommended: there is no added benefit compared to regular soap, however, it could lead to antibiotics-resistant bacteria forming on your body parts. In any case, soap is worth using: you can’t get rid of viruses with just water.
Lather the soap, rubbing your hands against each other.
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Then rub the backside of each palm and between your fingers.
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Rub between your fingers, folding the palms.
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Interlace your fingers, continue washing.
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Repeat the action with your thumbs.
Finally, rub the fingertips of one hand against the palm of the other.
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Rinse your hands with water.
Dry thoroughly (with a paper towel or your personal towel which should be changed
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every couple of days) or use the automatic dryer. It’s important to keep your hands dry, otherwise, viruses and bacteria can easily end up on them. If you are using a paper towel, turn off the sink faucet with its help. 11
If you are looking for video instructions, watch this one from WHO:
Check out these British healthcare workers washing their hands (and dancing!) to Gangnam Style: Prefer fun instructions?
When do you need to wash your hands?
• after using the toilet (always!); • before, during, and after preparing food; • after touching raw groceries (meat, fish, vegetables); • after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing (by the way, this is how you should do it properly; this poster is printable and can be placed on your office walls); • after touching an animal (including your own pets), its food, or waste; When they are clearly dirty. But this isn’t the only case. The list of indications for washing your hands is below:
• after visiting public places; • after public transport rides;
• after cleaning the house; • before and after wound cleaning; • before and after you help person who is sick while they’re vomiting or experiencing diarrhea; • after you change a diaper or help a baby go to the toilet; • after touching garbage.
What to do if you got sick at home? 5
Unfortunately, no one is completely protected from infection. If you get sick—even if it’s a common cold—and are staying at home, here is a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s very important to follow the safety guidance, especially if you live together with someone (if there is a possibility that you have COVID-19 and you can’t follow these rules, think about hospitalization): ■ Move to a separate room if possible. ■ Keep your pregnant family members safe: it is possible that the infection progresses more seriously during pregnancy. Good news is, there are no registered cases of prenatal virus transferring. It is clear that breastfeeding should be provided with great caution, even only at suspicion of the new coronavirus infection. Some organizations suggest that mothers should stop breastfeeding altogether. ■ Wear a mask if there are people or animals next to you. Your household members should also wear them if they come close.
■ Use your personal toothbrush, dishes, and towels. ■ Do not share food or drinks. ■ Wash your hands properly, including when you leave the restroom. ■ Sneeze and cough into a tissue your elbow. ■ Ensure appropriate room aerating. ■ Do not take care of your pets, ask for help. There are no registered cases of
transferring COVID-19 from animals to people, but it’s better to avoid such contacts for your safety.
■ Do not leave your house, even for a small walk, and do not use taxis. ■ Stick to the strict isolation period until your fever declines and other symptoms disappear. It’s not clear how many days it takes for a person to stop transferring coronavirus after recovering. That’s why you should self-isolate for 14 days afterward.
# Stay safe!
Follow the news from WHO, don’t panic, stay at home, and stay safe. By practicing consciousness during these hard times, you save lives, help healthcare workers, and decrease the infection spread. Feel free to share this digital flipbook with your family members, colleagues, customers—on your website and in social networks. Stay safe!
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