CORONAVIRUS: WHAT ARE THE MYTHS AND HOW WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AT HOME?

by Ashna Mehmood March 25, 2020 0 Comments

The entire world is gradually moving towards a complete lockdown as a result of an infectious disease, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The virus rapidly spreads through droplets of saliva or discharge from nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The reason why it is escalating at an alarming rate is because there is no cure or vaccine available to treat it. Hence, the most efficient way to prevent and slow down the transmission is to be well informed about it and take necessary precautions which will be discussed further.

Myths that need to be busted:-

First, we will bust some of the most common myths that are currently circulating on social media and various WhatsApp groups.

COVID-19 virus cannot be transmitted in Hot climates or the Cold climate cannot kill the virus:-

COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in all areas including, hot and humid areas. Moreover, there is no research available which suggests that cold or hot climate can kill the virus.

Spraying chlorine or alcohol over your body kills the virus:-

Applying chlorine or alcohol will not kill the virus but in fact can harm your skin or body if it enters your mouth or eyes.

Older and young generation are more likely to catch the virus:-

COVID-19 can infect people of every age. According to the report published by WHO, most number of cases in US involving COVID-19 virus were from among 22-44 age group.

COVID-19 is type of a flu:-

COVID-19 and flu have some similar symptoms such as, cough and fever. However, COVID-19 is more deadly and has an estimated mortality rate between 1 and 3%.

Garlic protects against COVID-19:-

Garlic has anti-bacterial properties and can slow the growth of bacteria. But since, COVID-19 is caused by a virus, it is useless against it.

Standard surgical masks protect you from the virus:-

Standard surgical masks cannot protect you from the virus as they are not designed to block out viral particles. However, ‘N95 respirators’ have shown to reduce the spread of the virus among the medical staff so, they are a reliable option.

Drinking water every 15 minutes prevents the coronavirus from entering your lungs:-

This is false, drinking water every 15 minutes will not prevent you from getting infected.

How can we take care of ourselves at home?

There are few ways in which we can manage our health at home.

Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Use alcohol based-hand sanitisers to clean your hands.
Regularly clean all surfaces in your home which are touched often such as, doorknobs, tables etc. with cleaning sprays or wipes.
Stay at home and avoid physical contact even from your own family members and do not share items such as, dishes, towels etc.
If you come in contact with other people, use N95 masks if possible.
Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands.
If you feel sick, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue if you cough or sneeze and discard the tissue immediately.
Clean and disinfect your phones and laptops since, most of us spend our time using them.

This is a difficult time for most of us, however we should try to remain calm and take necessary precautions to prevent ourselves from getting infected.