4 Effective ways to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19

1. Wear Mask and Maintain Social Distancing

Wearing a mask is a new normal while being around other people. World Health Organisation (WHO), including many countries have made it mandatory to wear mask while in public places.

How to wear a mask properly?

Sanitise or wash your hands with soap before you put your mask on. Ensure your nose, mouth and chin are properly covered. And after you take it off please clean your hands as well.

What kind of mask to wear?

Below are specifics on types of mask to wear and when, where you stay or live, where you go and what’s your age.

• Fabric mask can go well unless you’re in a certain risk group. This is important when you can’t stay physically distanced in poorly ventilated place or in a mildly crowded location.
  
  
• When to wear a surgical mask:
  • If you are over 60 years old,
  • If you have any serious medical conditions,
  • If you yourself are feeling unwell, and/or
  • If you are taking care after an ill family member. 
    
    
• Health workers or sensitization personals need to wear medical masks (such as FFP2, FFP3, N95, N99) along with personal protective equipment (PPE) kits when engaging with patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Respirator must be used in settings when procedures of generating aerosols are performed plus it must be fitted to ensure the right size is worn.

While wearing mask is critical so is maintain social distance of at least 3-metre between yourself and others. It will reduce your risk of infection when anyone cough, sneeze or speak. The more the distance, the better.

2. How to keep your working or living environment safer

As mentioned by WHO avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded locations or tasks that involve close contact.

Getting COVID-19 infection is higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where COVID positive people spend long periods of time together in proximity. In these environments the virus appears to spread by respiratory droplets or aerosols easily.

Many outbreaks were reported in restaurants, places of worship, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices etc. where people gather often in crowded indoor settings where they talk loudly or shout, breathe heavily or sing.

As a precaution, try to meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are far safer than indoor meetings, particularly for small halls/room and without outdoor air coming in.

For more information on how to hold events like family gatherings, children’s football games and family occasions, read  Q&A on small public gatherings by WHO.

If crowded or indoor settings are unavoidable, then take precautions:

• Open a window near you to increase the amount of ‘natural ventilation’ while indoors.
• WHO has published Q&As on ventilation and air conditioning for both the general public and people who manage public spaces and buildings.
• Wear a mask all the time.

3. Keep your hands clean all the time and maintain proper personal hygiene

• Thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Repeat it multiple times in the day. This eliminates viruses or any germs that may be on your hands.
  
  
• Restrict yourself from touching your eyes, nose and mouth without cleaning your hands. As hands touch many surfaces, picking up viruses is very easy with it. And from hands it (the virus) can transfer to your nose, eyes, or mouth into your body and infect you.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth/tissue or with your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze. At that point itself dispose of the used tissue into a closed bin and wash your hands. With ‘respiratory hygiene’, you can protect the people around you from viruses, which cause COVID-19 and even colds, flu or viral fevers.
  
  
• Keep disinfecting surfaces frequently particularly those which are regularly touched, for exampledoor handles, phone screens, TV remote, computer mouse etc.

4. Not feeling well? Or having symptoms of COVID-19

Below is the full range of COVID-19 symptoms. 

a) Fever, dry cough, and tiredness.

b) Other symptoms (less common) include loss of smell or taste, aches and pains, headache, sore throat, red eyes, nasal congestion, diarrhoea, or a skin rash.

• Stay home and self-isolate.
  Even if you show minor symptoms of cough, headache, mild fever, do not get out of home. Call your local health care provider or hotline for advice. Ask someone else to bring your daily-need supplies. If you leave your house owing to serious need have someone else near you, wear a surgical/medical mask to avoid infections.
  
  
• If fever is not going away in a day or two and have cough and difficulty breathing, seek out medical attention immediately. Call by phone, if you can and follow the directions of your local medical authority.
  
  
• Keep updated on the latest information from only trusted sources, like WHO or your national health authorities. Local hospitals and national authorities and public health units can advise the best on what people in your area should be doing to defend themselves from Covid19 pandemic.