The new Coronavirus (officially named COVID-19) seems to be all people are talking about these days, especially now that we have had our first confirmed case in South Africa. Naturally, our biggest concern as Mums is around how we can keep our families safe from this very contagious bug that has just arrived on our shores. We get you, Mum, and so we’ve put together 7 top tips from various sources to help ease your worries a bit.
So, what is a virus anyway? A virus is a tiny particle that is far too small to be seen with the naked eye. Like bacteria, viruses often cause people to become sick, but unlike bacteria, we can not treat viruses with antibiotics. This is probably the most important thing to understand about viruses, antibiotics will not help at all with something like COVID-19. Luckily, viruses do usually go away on their own, because our immune systems are more than strong enough to get rid of them.
However, sometimes when people are old or already sick with a different virus or bacteria, or maybe having chemotherapy for cancer, their immune systems are not strong enough to fight the new virus too. These are the people who are most at risk and need to be the most careful when it comes to new viruses like COVID-19.
So now that we know a bit more about how viruses work, let’s talk about what we should be doing right now to protect ourselves and others at this time.
1. Don’t panic
The first and most important thing you can do for yourself and your family is to stay calm. The scariest part about this virus is that it is new, and so none of us have been exposed to it before, and therefore if you come into contact with someone who has the virus it is likely you will also become infected. But this is still no reason to panic! The latest information from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) has found that more than 80% of all cases have been mild, with the sick and elderly most at risk.
So the thing to take away from this is that if you are healthy, you aren’t elderly, and you get the necessary treatment from your doctor or clinic, you should recover completely even if you do get infected with COVID-19. That’s good news, right Mum?
2. Wash your hands. A lot.
This is by far the best way to protect yourself and your family from any bug going around, and COVID-19 is no exception. Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, and if soap is not available then clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Washing your hands with soap and water kills any viruses that may be on your hands, especially if you use a wash like Dettol Hygiene Hand Wash.
3. Avoid touching your face as much as you can
Trying not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth is also a good habit to get yourself and your kids into. It can be tough to do, but it really does reduce your risk of infection if you keep your hands away from these areas. This is because our hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can very easily enter your body this way and make you sick.