With over one million people infected, the coronavirus or covid-19 is one of the most infectious diseases in recent memory. Aside from the person afflicted by the virus, millions have also lost their jobs due to lockdowns implemented by authorities around the world. of course, people are search for information on how to prevent Coronavirus.
If you haven’t seen the news in the past few weeks, you may be wondering what this coronavirus is all about. Read on and we’ll give you a rundown about this dreaded disease that has affected over 200 countries.
We’ll also give you tips on how you can avoid catching Covid-19.
What is Coronavirus or Covid-19?
Coronavirus or Covid-19 is an infectious disease that causes respiratory illness. While it has similar symptoms as the flu, it’s more dangerous than the seasonal flu. The coronavirus is actually a family of viruses that include SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus), and the common cold.
It was initially called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 since it is related to the SARS outbreak way back in 2003. But, it was called Covid-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 11, 2020.
Coronavirus Timeline
The following is the timeline of the coronavirus outbreak:
December
- The coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan, China in December 31, 2019. Chinese health officials informed the WHO of a mysterious pneumonia that affected a cluster of patients in the city. It was later called the novel coronavirus or nCoV.
January
- The first death due to the virus was recorded in China on January 11.
- On January 13, the first case of the virus outside of China was recorded in Thailand.
- The first case of the virus in North America was recorded on January 20.
- January 23 saw Wuhan being placed under quarantine.
- On January 30, the WHO declaring a global public health emergency.
- January 31 saw the banning of all foreign nationals from entering the United States if they were in China in the past two weeks.
February
- By February 2, the first death outside of China was recorded in the Philippines.
- On February 9, the death toll in China surpassed the number of deaths during the SARS epidemic of 2003.
- On February 11, the WHO announced that the new virus will be called Covid-19. Covid-19 cases start to spike in several countries a few weeks later.
- February 21 saw the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy.
March
- On March 8, Italy implements a lockdown on all its residents.
- A pandemic was declared by the WHO on March 11. On the same day, the United States bans all travel from 26 European countries.
- March 13 saw the declaration of a national emergency in the US due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- On March 23, New York City became the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States with 21,000 confirmed cases
- March 31 stay-at-home orders were issued by 35 states in the US.
April
- April 2 saw the number of Covid-19 cases around the world surpassing the one million mark.
How Covid-19 Spreads
Since the Covid-19 is a new virus strain, our immune system has yet to develop antibodies to fight it. Due to this, the best way to avoid catching it is to prevent it from infecting us in the first place. But, before we look into how you can avoid catching it, it is important to know how it spreads.
- Covid-19 is a respiratory virus so it’s transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets. Due to this, when a person sneezes beside you, the droplets from the nose or mouth will spray you. These droplets may contain the virus and will infect you.
- Another way for the virus to be transmitted if the infected person touches his or her mouth or nose and shakes your hand. If you don’t wash your hands before you touch your nose or mouth, the virus will be transmitted.
- The virus can also be transmitted through surfaces where the virus is present. Touching these surfaces is not enough to transmit it. You have to touch your face after coming into contact with these surfaces.
But, if you wash your hands for 20 seconds before touching your face, you’ll be safe. Research has shown that the virus remains viable from four hours up to 72 hours depending on the type of surface they land on. Keep on reading for our top recommendations for how to prevent Coronavirus.
How to Prevent Coronavirus
Now that you have an idea about Covid-19, let’s talk about how you can prevent it. The following are the things you can do to avoid catching the coronavirus or Covid-19
#1: Stay at Home
This is probably one of the best pieces of advice you can get from anyone so you won’t get sick. By staying at home, you are not only helping yourself you are also helping the medical professionals who treat Covid-19 patients.
For the moment, many medical professionals are working hard to help Covid-19 patients. You don’t have to add your name to the list of people they have to help. If you don’t catch the virus, you won’t have to go to the hospital for treatment.
#2: Wash your hands frequently
How to prevent Coronavirus? Here’s an easy tip to follow. Aside from staying at home, you should also make it a habit to wash your hands often. This is particularly true if you have to go out for supplies at home. If you’re going on a grocery run, avoid touching your face while you’re outside.
Once you reach home, you should wash your hands for 20 seconds using soap and water. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. If you are still on a lookout for good soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, check out what we found for you.
Dial Antibacterial Bar Soap
- Brand Heritage: With its rich gold Color and bracing scent, is the bar you can trust for deodorant...
- KILLS BACTERIA: Trusted antibacterial deodorant Protection technology that kills odor causing...
- ODOR Protection: Round the clock odor Protection to help you feel clean and Fresh all day long
- MOISTURE BALANCE: Clean rinsing and hydrating formula for the Perfect balance of clean and...
- CREAMY LATHER: Formulated to provide creamy, moisture rich lather that washes away bacteria without...
The Dial Antibacterial Bar Soap can be an option if you’re looking for a soap you can use at home. Aside from coming from a trusted brand, you also get a bracing scent and antibacterial properties in one bar of soap. Moreover, you 30 bars for every purchase.
How to Prevent Coronavirus: Consider Using some Refreshing Hand Cleaning Gel
The Refreshing Hand Cleaning Gel has a 75-percent alcohol content that can effectively clean your hands. Despite this high alcohol content, it’s still gentle to the skin and has a moisturizing feature. Each purchase gets you three bottles.
Hibabe Hand Wash Gel
Another non-irritating hand sanitizer is the Hibabe Hand Wash Gel. While it has a 75 percent alcohol content, it does not hurt your skin when you use it. You only need a thumbnail size amount to clean your hands.
#3: Practice Social Distancing to Prevent Covid-19
Another way to avoid getting infected by Covid-19 is to practice social distancing. Social distancing is staying at least six feet away from another person, especially if the person is sneezing or coughing. In terms of how to prevent Coronavirus, this recommendation is the most common one from health organizations around the world.
This distance may allow you to avoid any liquid droplets from the mouth or nose of a person who sneezes. Similarly, it also allows you to avoid breathing in any droplets from a person who is coughing.
On the other hand, if you feel a sneeze coming, you should cover your mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue. If you’re using a tissue, dispose of it properly after you sneeze.
#4: Clean and Disinfect Often
The coronavirus is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets from sneezing or coughing. But, experts still consider it important for you to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in the home. These high-touch surfaces include doorknobs, table surfaces, and light switches, among others.
You can clean them by removing any dust or debris on these surfaces. Then, you should apply disinfecting wipes or a disinfectant spray. You can do this every day, especially if you go out of the house every day for work.
Another option is to use diluted household bleach to disinfect these high-touch surfaces. You can make your own bleach solution consisting of a gallon of water and five tablespoons of bleach. You can also mix a quart of water with four teaspoons of bleach.
We came up with some options you can consider if you’re still looking for disinfecting wipes or a disinfectant spray in the market.
How to Prevent Coronavirus: Use Clorox Handi Wipes
- 6 Towels per Pack
- Handi Wipes Towels
The Clorox Handi Wipes are reusable absorbent cloth you can use together with alcohol to disinfect high-touch surfaces in the house. They are durable and machine-washable.
Disinfectant Wipes from Atralife
Another option is the Disinfectant Wipes from Atralife. These wipes are easy to carry around and feature a high-quality fabric with 75 percent alcohol. They are also skin-friendly and can be used to clean goods as well as your skin.
#5: Cover Your Mouth When You Cough or Sneeze
While you may be concerned about protecting yourself from the virus, you should also cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. You can use a tissue to do this or the inside of your elbow.
If you used a tissue, immediately throw the used tissue in the trash can. Then, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. You can also use a hand sanitizer in case soap and water are not available.
#6: Use a Mask to Stay Safe from Coronavirus
With the continued spread of Covid-19 around the world, the use of masks has become more important. But, the availability of surgical and N95 masks is currently limited. Due to this, authorities have recommended using simple cloth face coverings while observing social distancing to slow down its spread.
You can try using the following as a mask instead of a surgical or N95 mask.
Sunlight Sports Face Protection
The Sunlight Sports Face Protection may not be the N95 mask, but it does have five layers of protection from unwanted substances. It also features replaceable active carbon filters that stop dust, pollen, haze, and fumes, among others
Covid-19 or the coronavirus is something that everyone should be concerned about. Its continued spread around the world makes it essential for everyone to do their part to flatten the curve. Due to this, the best thing you can do to prevent it from spreading further is for you to stay at home. If you do get it, here are some tips for how to survive a pandemic that you’ll want to check out.
Have y0ur Say about How to Prevent Coronavirus
Do you have any tips or tricks for preventing Covid-19 or any other kind of flu pandemic? Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
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Last update on 2021-09-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API