The particles of COVID-19 are too small to be seen by the naked human eye. The possibility of infection is high when we are not careful enough. Thus, we have to remain vigilant at all times and take all necessary steps and precautions to protect ourselves from the virus.
Watch your symptoms
Signs and symptoms manifest when a person is sick, ranging from mild to very severe. These manifestations appear 2-14 days after subjection to the virus. Cases that show no symptoms are called asymptomatic cases.
COVID-19 can exhibit three common symptoms: fatigue, cough, and fever. Other indications can be breathing difficulty, body aches, loss of taste or smell, headaches, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhoea, and vomiting or nausea.
When you present any one of these symptoms, stay at home. Get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible when symptoms worsen. Have a separate set of tableware from other people in the household to minimise spread.
Practice social distancing
As the virus spreads by respiratory droplet transmission, it is critical to avoid contact with people and crowds, especially if they are not wearing face masks. If living with someone who is sick, keep your mask on and keep surfaces disinfected.
The CDC recommends being at least two arm’s length or 6 feet apart from others around you. Stay home as much as possible, and turn away visitors at this time. As there are asymptomatic cases, it will be hard to tell at first glance if the person is infected.
The internet is a reliable platform to communicate with others or do errands without meeting up with people. If possible, ask your higher-ups if you can do a work-at-home set-up. Instead of going to malls or groceries, do online shopping on the official websites of your favourite stores and have the products delivered straight to your doorstep.
Avoid going out as much as possible. But if it is unavoidable, wear a mask whenever you go out and always be wary of your surroundings. Use a private vehicle instead of public transportation. Run your errands on off-peak times to avoid wasting time and long lines. Keep a bottle of alcohol or sanitiser in your bag to keep your hands sanitised.
Wash your hands
A contaminated surface has the virus present on it. It can survive for hours or days. People touch their faces a lot unconsciously, so infection is most likely to occur.
Always keep your hands clean. Abstain from touching surfaces as much as possible for safety. Washing hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds is good practice. If no water and soap are available, keep alcohol wipes and sanitiser in your bag.
Refrain from touching your face, especially the eyes, nose, or mouth, even if your hands are clean. Use the bend of the elbow or a tissue when you are to sneeze or cough. Dispose of the tissue immediately once done.
Wear a mask
Cloth masks and disposable surgical masks are both effective in containing droplets. When making your cloth masks at home, use tightly- woven fabric that can block out light to work correctly. Surgical masks are made with layers of non-woven fabric to filter out bacteria and can allow air permeability.
The face mask protects others when the wearer is infected, as the respiratory droplets expelled are contained and cannot spread. When going out or when in a virus-exposed environment, you should wear a mask.” reports Ms Chiu from The Kare Lab, a medical PPC and face mask manufacturer.
The mask must fit correctly on your face. The nose wire should follow the shape of your nose. There should be no gaps between your face and the mask to avoid leakage. For a better fit, you can pair a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. You can also use elastic ties or bands to attach the mask to the back of the neck.
When the mask is on, refrain from touching it. Doing so keeps the sterility. When the disposable mask is soiled, dispose of the used surgery mask properly. Users should wash their cloth masks well after every use.
Get vaccinated
A vaccine immunises you from disease or prevents you from experiencing severe illness. It contains an inactivated or weakened pathogen components to have your body recognise the microorganism in the chance that you get infected and elicit less severe or milder symptoms. Getting the vaccine doesn’t mean we can’t catch the virus.
Some vaccines can be injected, taken intraorally, or inhaled by the nose. Some may require several doses to be fully effective. All vaccines are regulated closely, and there are sporadic cases of severe side effects.
Thanks to these immunisations, the number of severe COVID-19 cases and deaths have decreased significantly compared to the situation before. However, those with underlying health problems and allergies to vaccine components cannot take the vaccine as they may experience severe side effects.
When people in a community get the vaccine, herd immunity grows. Since most of the community is immune, the virus will have difficulty in circulating and infecting people. Doing this also protects the unvaccinated people in the community.
Even when fully vaccinated, we must still observe preventive measures, like keeping masks on and distance from people and crowds.
Conclusion
By watching out for symptoms, practicing social distancing, washing our hands, wearing a mask, and getting vaccinated, we can protect ourselves from infection with COVID-19. Doing all of these measures will ensure protection for both ourselves and others.
