ಆತಂಕ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ COVID-19 ಸುಳ್ಳು ವದಂತಿಗಳು

ಕರೋನವೈರಸ್ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಭಾರತದ ಯುದ್ಧವು ಅನೇಕ ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದೆ - ದೊಡ್ಡ ಜನಸಂದಣಿ, ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸಿದ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಸಮರ್ಪಕ ಮೂಲಸೌಕರ್ಯ - ಇದರ ಪರಿಣಾಮವಾಗಿ, ಸೋಂಕಿತರ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಏರುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಇದರ ಮಧ್ಯ, ಫೋನ್‌ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ COVID-19ರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹರಿದಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ವದಂತಿಯ ಅಲೆ, ಸರ್ಕಾರವನ್ನು ಕಠಿಣ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸುತ್ತಿವೆ.

ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಫೋನುಗಳು ವೈರಸ್ ಅನ್ನು ನಿಭಾಯಿಸಲು ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸದ ಮನೆಮದ್ದುಗಳ ಪಟ್ಟಿ, ಐಸ್ ಕ್ರೀಮ್ ಮತ್ತು ಚಿಕನ್ ನಂತಹ ಆಹಾರಗಳನ್ನು ತಪ್ಪಿಸುವ ಸಲಹೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಪಿತೂರಿ ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತಗಳಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿವೆ.

ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಸಾರವಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳನ್ನು ನಂಬುವವರು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ವಿಶ್ವದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲೂ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ. ಈಸ್ಟ್ ಆಂಗ್ಲಿಯಾ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ಸಂಶೋಧಕರು ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ ಯುಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಮಾರು 40% ಜನರು ಕನಿಷ್ಠ ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯ ಪಿತೂರಿ ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು ನಂಬುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅಂಕಿಅಂಶಗಳ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಯುನೈಟೆಡ್ ಸ್ಟೇಟ್ಸ್ ಮತ್ತು ವಿಶ್ವದ ಇತರ ಭಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.

ಅವರ ಈ ಅಧ್ಯಯನವು ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಇಂಗ್ಲೆಂಡ್‌ನಿಂದ ಬೆಂಬಲಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಅವರು ಹೇಳುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಹೆದರಿಕೆಯ ಕಥೆಗಳು, ವದಂತಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ನೊರೊವೈರಸ್, ಜ್ವರ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂಕಿಪಾಕ್ಸ್‌ನಂತಹ ಕಾಯಿಲೆಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯ ಪರಿಣಾಮವನ್ನು ಟ್ವಿಟರ್‌ನಂತಹ ಸೈಟ್‌ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ನಂಬಿದ ಜನರು ತಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಇತರರನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಾಲನೆಮಾಡದೆ ಇರುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಂಕ್ರಾಮಿಕದಿಂದ ದೂರಉಳಿಯುವ ಮಾರ್ಗಗಳ್ಳನ್ನು ಪಾಲನೆ ಮಾಡದೇ ಇದ್ದದು ಕಂಡುಬಂದಿದೆ. ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗೆ: ಕೈಗಳನ್ನು ಆಗಾಗ್ಗೆ ತೊಳೆಯುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ಇತರ ರೋಗಲಕ್ಷಣಗಳು ಇದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಇತರ ಜನರಿಂದ ದೂರವಿರುವುದು. COVID-19ರ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದರೆ, ಈ ವೈರಸ್ ಹೇಗೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡಿತು, ಅದು ಏನು ಉಂಟುಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ ಹರಡುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಉಹಾಪೋಹಗಳು, ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ನಕಲಿ ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳು ಕಂಡುಬಂದಿವೆ.

ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತ ವ್ಯಾಪಕವಾಗಿ ಹರಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ನೊವೆಲ್ ಕೊರೊನಾವೈರಸ್ ಸಾಂಕ್ರಾಮಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ಇಂತಹ ವಿಪ್ಪತ್ತಿನ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಿದಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ನಕಲಿ ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳು ಜನರ ಜೀವಕ್ಕೆ ಆಪತ್ತನ್ನು ತಂದಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಸಂಶೋಧಕರು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ನಕಲಿ ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸಲು ಎರಡು ಪರಿಣಾಮಕಾರಿ ತಂತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಶೋಧಕರು ಕಂಡುಹಿಡಿದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಒಂದು ಸೋಶಿಯಲ್ ಮೀಡಿಯಾದಲ್ಲಿ ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯ ಪ್ರಮಾಣವನ್ನು ಕಡಿಮೆ ಮಾಡುವುದು. ಇನ್ನೊಂದು, ಸುಳ್ಳು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಅದನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸಲು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ನೀಡುವುದು.

ಎರಡೂ ತಂತ್ರಗಳು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಯಶಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಕಂಡವು ಆದರೆ ನಾವು ಅತ್ಯಾಧುನಿಕ ಸಿಮ್ಯುಲೇಶನ್ ಮಾದರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಬಳಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೂ, ಇದು ನೈಜ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಆಧರಿಸಿದ ವೀಕ್ಷಣಾ ಅಧ್ಯಯನವಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ನೆನಪಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಬಹಳ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಎಂದು ಸಂಶೋಧಕರು ಹೇಳಿದರು.

ನಕಲಿ ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಹೋರಾಡಲು ಇಂತಹ ಕಾರ್ಯತಂತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಕಾರ್ಯಗತಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಪರಿಣಾಮಕಾರಿತ್ವವನ್ನು ನೈಜ-ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ಸೆಟ್ಟಿಂಗ್‌ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ, ನೈಜ-ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ರೋಗ ಕಡಿತಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿದರೆ ವೆಚ್ಚಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಗಳನ್ನು ಆದರ್ಶಪ್ರಾಯವಾಗಿ ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಗೈ ಬರ್ಗರ್ ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂವಹನ ಮತ್ತು ಮಾಹಿತಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ನೀತಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಕಾರ್ಯತಂತ್ರಗಳ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕರಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಮತ್ತು ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯ ವಿಷಯದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಏಜೆನ್ಸಿಯ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬರು. COVID-19ರ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಅಂಶಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿವೆ ಎಂದು ಯುಎನ್ ನ್ಯೂಸ್‌ಗೆ ನೀಡಿದ ಸಂದರ್ಶನದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ವಿವರಿಸಿದರು.

COVID-19 ಬಿಕ್ಕಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ, ಕರೋನವೈರಸ್ನ ಮೂಲದಿಂದ ದೃಡಿಕರಿಸಿದ 'ತಡೆಗಟ್ಟುವಿಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ಗುಣಪಡಿಸುವಿಕೆ' ವರೆಗಿನ ಜಾಹಿರಾತುಗಳು ಹಾಗು ಸರ್ಕಾರದಿಂದ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ದೃಢಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಕಂಪನಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಸೆಲೆಬ್ರಿಟಿಗಳು ಮಾಡುವ ಜಾಹಿರಾತುಗಳು ತಪ್ಪಲ್ಲಾ.   

ವಿಪರ್ಯಾಸ್ಯವೆಂದರೆ ಪ್ರಭಾವಶಾಲಿ ಜನರನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡಿರುವ ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಪುನರಾವರ್ತಿಸಿದಾಗ ಮತ್ತು ವರ್ಧಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಗಂಭೀರ ಅಪಾಯವನ್ನು ತಂದೋಡುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಆಧರಿಸಿದ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯು ಕೇವಲ ಅಲ್ಪ ಪ್ರಭಾವವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಭಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅನಿಶ್ಚಿತತೆಗಳ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಹೊಂದಲು ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಳೆಯಲು ಇನ್ನು ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಅವಕಾಶವಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಅಪಾಯವೆಂದರೆ ಆಕರ್ಷಿಸುವ ಯಾವುದೇ ಒಂದು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಕೂಡ ನಿಜವಾದ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳ ಮಹತ್ವವನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚಿಹಾಕುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ, ನಿರಾಕರಿಸುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ.

ಆನ್‌ಲೈನ್ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರೆಡೆ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಏನು ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತಪಡಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಲು ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋ ಸಹ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ, ಇದರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಅವರು ಸುಳ್ಳನ್ನು ನಂಬುವ ಮತ್ತು ಹರಡುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ ಕಡಿಮೆ. ಏಜೆನ್ಸಿ #ThinkBeforeSharing, #ThinkBeforeClicking, ಮತ್ತು #ShareKnowledge ಎಂಬ ಹ್ಯಾಶ್‌ಟ್ಯಾಗ್‌ಗಳನ್ನು ಬಳಸುತ್ತಿದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯ ಪ್ರವೇಶದ ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳು ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯ ಅಪಾಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಉತ್ತಮ ಪರಿಹಾರವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯವನ್ನು ಉತ್ತೇಜಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.

ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಅಥವಾ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಬ್ಬುತ್ತಿರುವ COVID-19ರ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ಮಾಡದೇ ನಂಬಬೇಡಿ. ವದಂತಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಕಿವಿಗೊಡದಿರಿ, ನೀವು ಹೆದರದಿರಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸುತ್ತಲಿರುವವರನ್ನು ಹೆದರಿಸದಿರಿ.

Penned By: Saroja Huddar

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COVID-19: How to keep your team united while you implement work-from-home policy?

The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected all the fields of business and employment. Considering the safety of the employees, all the companies have decided to implement the work-from-home policy. Many companies have been working remotely since the beginning but for most of the companies, this policy is new and challenging. During this critical medical condition, the leader of the companies has an important and increased responsibility.

All the employees and the employers have to fulfill the basic responsibility towards society first, that is to stay safe and keep society safe.  Here are a few necessary steps everyone should practice: These steps are very helpful in preventing the rapidly growing COVID-19:
 ·      Maintain social distance
 ·      Avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth
 ·      Practicing respiratory hygiene
 ·      Consulting doctor immediately on observing symptoms like cough, fever or breathing difficulties
·      Frequently washing hands with sanitizers

Working in an atmosphere different from the office can be discomforting to some employees and a luxury to others. Leaders are constantly thinking about how to improve team productivity and improve the time efficiency of the employees and still hold the team accountable. There is nothing to worry about.  By following some simple steps we can all work unitedly and be productive too.

The world is connected with the help of various technical tools. By utilizing the advancing technology we can follow the remote work from home policy. Before sending the employees to work remotely, the leaders must design a well-balanced plan and strategies with minimal or no obstacles.

The main objectives of any company during this crucial time must be as follows:
·      Staying safe
·      Implementing a proper work plan
·      To improve team productivity
·      Minimizing the cost of resources
·      To improve the time efficiency of the employees
·      Staying connected
·      Working unitedly to achieve the goals and targets

With most families being quarantined, employees under remote work from home policy experience more distractions when compared to working at the office. Along with distractions, the fear of the disease and anxiousness about safety and health may be fretting the employees. This may affect their productivity and efficiency. Hence the employers have to be mindful of how they can communicate and work with the employees.

Not only employers but employees must also take up their responsibilities seriously. Instead of finding quarantine a chance to enjoy with family or relax the whole time, being responsible employees, everyone should put in more effort to work unitedly, make the best use of their time and be more productive. Achieving the goals should not be the objective of the employer alone but the whole team.

How to implement work from home policy?

Given below are a few important steps which can help you implement work from home more effectively.

1. Keeping your team or employees updated

A consistent and transparent communication will promote the success of the team. You must ensure that there are multiple ways through which you can communicate with each other. Taking complete use of emails, chatting software and applications, text messaging apps can make communication easier and better.

2. Getting Everyone on Video conferences

There are multiple video conferencing tools available on the internet today. All of which serve the same purpose of better communication. Utilizing tools such as Zoom or Google Hangouts can serve the purpose of having clear and transparent communication. Frequent video conferencing can help in building the gaps and encouraging each other to work together. Fix schedules to come online and report the progress of work and discuss the changes.

3. Lead your team by narrating a good example of remote work set-up

During conversations mentioning the challenges at home-office, providing solutions to the problems and encouraging your team members to keep up their good work will develop team harmony.

4. Avoiding Micromanage procedure

Companies that are used to working in a traditional office atmosphere may face some difficulties. Leaders may frequently feel an urge to check on their employees as they used to do at the office.  When your employees are working from home, trust their capability and work culture. Micromanaging even in this situation may create a sense of distrust in an employee.

5. Practice friendly interactions

Apart from fixing virtual schedules to discuss work-related topics, fix schedules to just chat with the employees and team members just like the way you chat at the office during coffee breaks.

6. Receive feedback from employees

Talk to your employees and get their feedback on how they are feeling about this new work set up. Their feedback may help you to learn the difficulties and also think about resolving them.

7. Cater to the needs of your employees

Office can be a well-equipped environment to work in. But when employees are working at home, they may have certain needs. Maybe a device to work, internet facility or access to certain software. As a leader, one must be paying attention to the needs of the employee even if they are away from the office.

8. Implementing work flexibility

Due to unfavorable working conditions, employees may face difficulties in carrying out their work efficiently. A leader can implement certain work flexibilities which will enhance their productivity and efficiency.

Some of them may include:

·      Flexible shift timings
·      Job sharing
·      Compressed work-week

9. Help your employees to practice multitasking

Multitasking can help the employees to manage their work and family in a better way. Boosting their confidence and also monitoring their situations at home can give you an idea of how to bring out the best in them.

10. Lastly, praise them

Praise your employees for doing their best,  fulfilling their responsibilities towards the company, completing the work given to them and being available for each other.

By following these 10 simple steps, one can keep the team united and get the best out of them. Along with keeping the employees safe, a leader will successfully improve team productivity and also improve the time efficiency of every team member. 

Stay Home and Stay Safe…!!!

Penned By: Yashaswini  Kudachi

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How do we save ourselves from COVID-19?

With the recent outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan, China and its rapid spread to other countries have put human life in danger. It has become a necessity to combat and limit the spread of this virus to save the entire human race. In this article, we will discuss the symptoms and precautions of the Covid-19 virus. 

What are the symptoms of COVID-19? 

When the human body comes in contact with this virus, it faces diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). This disease spreads from person to person, those who come in close contact via respiratory droplets just like any other respiratory pathogens. When the affected person sneezes or coughs, the respiratory droplets fall on the surface and gets transferred to others by physical contact.

It mainly affects the respiratory system of the human body and causes difficulty in breathing, fever, and cough. The symptoms might take approximately 2 to 15 days to show on an individual after coming in contact with the virus. Some individuals with a strong immune system may catch the virus, fall sick for a while and recover whereas others with weaker immune systems tend to experience serious sickness.

What are the protective measures you need to take? 

Wash your hands frequently

Clean hands mean no germs and no sickness, the same rule goes for the Covid-19. Washing your hands frequently with a nice alcohol-based handwash or soap can stop the spread of this virus. If soap is not available, a 60% alcohol bases hand sanitizer will also do. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, especially after visiting any public/crowded place, coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose. By following this, you kill all the viruses that are there on your hand. 

Keep social distance

Keep around one meter (three feet) distance from people, especially from the ones who are sneezing or coughing. If there is an infected person around you, he/she is likely to catch a cold and cough. They may spray small droplets from their mouth or nose while coughing and sneezing, which may contain the virus. If you come in close contact with the infected person and breathe in the droplets with the Covid-19 virus, you will catch it too.

Stay home

Your home is the safest place to be from the Covid-19 virus. Avoid going to public places as much as possible unless it is very important. You can contribute to society in fighting this pandemic by self-quarantine until the next update from the government.

Avoid touching mouth, nose, and eyes

It is very important to avoid this habit as you touch many surfaces and pick up the viruses from the same. Once your hands get contaminated with the virus and it can enter your body through mouth, nose or eyes.

Follow respiratory hygiene

Following respiratory hygiene is another important protective measure one should follow. Whenever you sneeze or cough, make sure you cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or hanky. Dispose of the used tissue into a covered bin immediately and wash the hanky with a good detergent. Sneezing or coughing into your bent elbow is also a good practice. By following this simple hygiene, you can protect your loved ones and other people around you from catching flu, cold and Covid-19.

Keep yourself updated

The government and healthcare organizations provide all the necessary updates about this pandemic. Do follow and stay updated on all the latest news, preventions, measures and cures invented (if any).

Plan your travel accordingly

As this catastrophic pandemic has affected the whole world, it is recommended avoid traveling to mainland Italy, Iran, China, and South Korea. Postpose all your trips until the situations are under control or so described by the government authorities. Older citizens and individuals suffering from chronic medical conditions are strictly advised to stay indoors and avoid nonessential travel to other countries. Check websites of WHO and CDC for the latest advice and updates before traveling internationally.

Avoid public transports

Traveling via your vehicles is far safer than taking a means of public transport. Hundreds and thousands of people use public transports, also the who are infected but not tested positive.

What are the protective measures to prevent it from spreading? 

Seek medical help if you have cough, fever and breathing difficulty

If you are suffering from cold, fever and breathing difficulty, seek medical help as soon as possible. Distance yourself from people, especially the older ones as they tend to get affected soon because of the low immune system. Isolating yourself to keep others safe and avoid the spread of this virus is the best step you can take. We do know, it is emotionally challenging but is a prime necessity at the moment.

Isolate

The best way to prevent this virus is to avoid exposure in public. Staying indoors in a separate room can control the spread to others and your family. In case the illness is severe staying at the hospital is the solution.

Wear a facemask

Those who are infected with Covid-19 should wear a facemask to prevent the respiratory droplets from infecting others. If you are sharing the room or are surrounded by other people or going to visit the doctor in the hospital, there are chances of others catching this virus. It is always better to cover yourself with a facemask. In case you find difficulty in breathing in the facemask, be sure to cover your coughs and sneezes. Follow the medical advice offered by your health care provided strictly. If you are not sick but are taking care of the sick, please wear a facemask as a precaution.

Disinfect and clean

Remember the saying ‘Cleanliness is the key to good health, well it is indeed right. Clean and disinfect all the surfaces in your home that you touch frequently. You can clean them daily with soap or detergent and water. This includes doorknobs, tables, chairs, light switches, keyboards, toilets, sinks, faucets, countertops, handles, desks, and phones.

Avoid sharing

Do not share your food, bedding, dishes, glasses, and other household items with others if you are sick. Use a separate bathroom and clean it daily if you live with a family in a single house.

We hope this article will help you and provide you with all the necessary information. Take care of your health, protect yourselves and others by following the above mentioned precautionary measures. Together we can fight this pandemic and uproot it from our lives for the best.

Penned By: Anuja Patil

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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

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