Do you think you are safe from COVID-19? Think Again!

This is the first time in history that the entire world is shut down due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Since the virus first emerged, tens of thousands of people have lost their life. It’s not a joke. We all are sitting in our home and thinking that it might not have a serious impact. But, that’s not the case. You never know what’s going to happen next. Unawareness, lack of seriousness, lack of proper knowledge and information can spread the virus quickly from person-to-person. People in India are still saying that Covid-19 is not as critical as it is. Think again!. Doctors are working tirelessly from day to night across the nation to tackle the disease. It’s not only their duty to save us from the virus, but it’s our duty to take care of ourselves and to take the safety measures seriously. 

Before you make any decision, you must know what is CoronaVirus and what precautions we can take to save ourselves from this contagious virus. In this blog, we will cover all the significant information about CoronaVirus (Covid-19). We’re sure that after reading this blog you will get a more clear idea about this serious illness. Lastly, don’t forget to share reliable information with your family, friends and closed ones. So, let's quickly go through the blog.

What is Covid-19? 

The newly discovered Covid-19 referred to as CoronaVirus is a respiratory illness that can damage your airways and lungs. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei China was the first country to discover the outbreak of this virus and from there the virus has rapidly spread nationwide since December 2019. Common symptoms of the disease include cough, fever, and shortness of breath. It is being said that the infected patient's display symptoms within five to six days. According to recent research, older people, men, and those with primary medical problems like cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease are more prone to the novel virus.

How does it spread? 

It is stated that the Coronavirus spread through person to person who is in close contact with one another. The Covid-19 spreads to other people through discharge from the nose or droplets of saliva when an affected person sneezes or coughs. Therefore, it’s very important to perform regular hygiene practice. People are likely to develop the disease if they touch an object or any surface that has a virus on it and then touch their nose, mouth, and eyes. However, this is not considered the primary cause of the illness. The virus can survive on the surface for up to 72 hours. The virus is said to be contagious which means that it spreads rapidly and till now, it has affected around 160 countries.

Why we cannot take it lightly? 

As we all know that the virus is spreading exponentially from person-to-person, death tolls are also increasing day-by-day. There are many countries that are unable to test a large number of patients and lack the proper equipment to test the outbreak's actual spread. This is one of the reasons why many people are dying across the world because of Covid-19. Many people are not serious about the virus, people are still going out for parties and gatherings in groups. The same mistake was done by Spain and Italy. But, now they are paying a huge amount for their actions. The vaccine has not yet been discovered for the virus, so there is a slight chance of recovering from the illness. However, it’s better to take precautions and self-quarantine or stay at home before we get exposed to the deadly virus. 

What are the precautions we must take? 

As mentioned before, there is no vaccine available for the virus. Therefore, we have listed down the preventive measures which you can follow to prevent the coronavirus. You can take care of yourself and others by following these preventive measures regularly

1) Clean your hands properly with water and soap/ hand wash for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing and sneezing. If you do not have a bar of soap, then you can use a sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol.

2) Make sure you do not touch your nose, mouth, and eyes with your hands unwashed

3) If you feel shortness of breath or a mild fever, then it’s good to seek immediate medical help from your family doctor

4) Avoid close contact with other people and maintain a distance of 3 feet between you and the person who is sneezing and coughing

5) Do not forget to wear a mask if you are sick or you are around sick people or sharing a room or vehicle with another person

6) If you can't bear the facemask, then try your best to cover your mouth and nose

7) If you are not sick then it’s not required to wear a facemask

8) Also, stay at home if you feel sick

9) Remember to cover your nose and mouth with a tissue paper whenever you sneeze or cough. Throw the tissue paper in the trash and immediately wash your hands

10) Remember to clean up and disinfect the frequently touched objects like switches, sofa, tables, toilets, sinks, doorknobs, handles, phones, keyboards, etc., with a regular household spray or detergent.

11) Avoid going to crowded places

12) Go out only in case of any emergency

13) If you have recently traveled from an area then it's good to isolate yourself for 14 days

14) If you see any symptoms call the Healthline number

The global pandemic Covid-19 is spreading rapidly. We all can stop it from spreading and combat it together if we follow the above precautions seriously and regularly. If the government, doctors, and scientists are working together to ensure the best for us, then we must and should cooperate with them to tackle this novel virus Covid-19. Let’s not take it for granted, let’s spread awareness among people about the Covid-19.

Penned By: Nausheen Kazi