How to protect Us By Corona Part-2

How to protect Us By Corona Part-2

 

 here's lots of information out there

about how we should be protecting ourselves

and others from COVID-19.

Definitely the best practices for prevention

against COVID-19 are these measures,

social distancing, staying home, especially when ill,

not touching your face, and washing your hands.

As researchers learn more about COVID-19 every day,

guidelines may expand to adapt to the new information.

So we should also be adaptable as we stay informed.

One of these measures is a new CDC recommendation

of wearing face coverings in public.

Coronavirus travels in droplets called respiratory droplets

that are propelled from the spray of a cough or a sneeze.

But research now suggests that droplets

may even be emitted from just speaking or breathing

and can potentially last in the air for three hours

before falling to the ground.

So how do face masks help us?

There are different types,

but the most common ones you're probably hearing about

are N95 respirators, surgical masks, and cloth masks.

Medical grade N95 respirators have a tight seal

against the face and are designed to filter out

95% of particles, even the ones that are really small,

up to 0.3 microns.

Coronavirus, which is even smaller,

only 50 to 200 nanometers,

can travel in respiratory droplets of various sizes.

So we rely on N95 respirators to filter out

pretty much all large droplets and most small ones

that may contain the virus.

Having these respirators available for health care providers

is critical to ensure they can treat their patients

without sacrificing their own health and safety.

And so they must be reserved for health care workers.

Surgical masks are loose-fitting,

so are mostly intended as a physical barrier,

not a filtration device.

They protect the wearer against large respiratory droplets,

but not smaller particles,

so are not considered reliable respiratory protection

by the CDC.

But they do protect others

from the mask wearer's own respiratory droplets,

at least from coughing, sneezing, and exhaling.

Surgical masks should also be reserved

for health care workers.

The CDC now recommends cloth face coverings

for the general public,

masks made from a simple t-shirt, for example,

for when you do need to go outside for essentials,

like to the grocery store or the pharmacy.

Some states in the US have already started

mandating this as well.

Even so, the best practice is to practice social distancing

and stay at home.

But for essential outings, you should cover your mouth

and nose with a cloth barrier.

Cloth masks can act as a physical barrier

and protect others from the respiratory droplets

that you emit.

You may not feel like others need protection from you,

especially if you're not feeling sick.

But the CDC estimates that 25% of people infected

with the novel coronavirus don't show symptoms

and feel fine.

But they can still transmit the virus

to other people around them.

So it's a better safe than sorry practice.

The only risk, you may start to believe it's protecting you

more than it actually is

and be fooled into a false sense of security.

You may feel safer wearing a mask,

but remember, it's meant to protect others around you,

not yourself.

The best way to keep yourself safe

is with social distancing

and washing your hands often and well.

And once you get home, be sure to remove your mask

without touching the outside contaminated part of the mask

and wash it before your next use.

The novel coronavirus can survive on objects

from hours to days, depending on the material.

Research so far estimates it can survive

on copper for four hours,

on cardboard for 24 hours,

and on plastic and stainless steel for around 72 hours.

This is still early research,

so it could potentially survive even longer.

This means that in addition to washing your hands often

and for 20 seconds each time,

you should disinfect frequently touched surfaces regularly,

like your countertops, phone, doorknobs,

light switches, and faucets.

A good disinfectant is something with 70% alcohol,

like rubbing alcohol.

You can also use a bleach solution.

These work best when you let the solution sit

on the surface for 30 seconds to a minute

before wiping it down.

You can make your own bleach solution

by mixing five tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water.

3% hydrogen peroxide also works

if you wait one minute before wiping it down.

Commercial wipes contain an ingredient

called quaternary ammonium,

which is also efficient in disinfecting

when you follow the directions on the label.

Be sure to never mix cleaning products,

because they can create dangerous, toxic chemical reactions.

So what can you do when you have to leave your home

for, say, groceries?

A good exercise when you're out is to assume

everyone around you is infected,

and you, yourself are as well, and act accordingly.

This will keep you aware of what you touch

and your distance from others.

Be extra careful not to touch your face

and minimize touching your personal belongings.

When you get home, wash your hands immediately

and disinfect any items you may have touched while out,

like car keys and your phone.

Your concern should be more about the people around you

than the groceries you're bringing home.

Your risk of being infected by a virus

living on your groceries is very low.

So there's no need to disinfect every item

as long as you do these things.

Wash your hands after unpacking groceries.

Disinfect countertops after unpacking them.

And wash your hands before cooking and before eating,

which you should be doing all the time anyways.