#Stay Home #Stay Safe

With the growing number of Covid-19 cases growing around the world globally, so are the news, whether it’s fake or real, spreading like wildfire. They are people taking things seriously, to the point that they panic buy and hoard necessities until nothing is left for others. Then there are the others who still have misconceptions regarding facts about the coronavirus. The most common of those are: “It’s an airborne disease.” and “it’s just the flu.” What people fail to understand is that although it may be a mild viral infection that has a low mortality rate, It spreads fast much like its predecessor, the 1918 Influenza pandemic. Affected countries such as Italy, The Philippines, Norway, China, Spain, and others have issued nationwide lockdowns or “ community quarantines” to slow down the spread of the virus. But what do we know about this new strain of the Coronavirus? Many experts have debunked facts that they know about this evolving pandemic to quell the growing anxieties of the public. But until now, there are still people who rely on third party sources without fact-checking, resulting in global panic.

According to the W.H.O and CDC, here are the things you should know about Covid-19

1.What is Covid-19?
Coronavirus disease, a.k.a Covid-1 is a respiratory illness that came from an unknown viral strain that was first reported due to the outbreak in Wuhan, China.

2. How does it spread?
Covid 19 spreads through person to person contact (within 6ft). Contrary to the initial belief that it is airborne, it has been proven by medical professionals that it spreads through droplets, meaning coughs or sneezes, and these can land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.

3.What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of COVID-19 appear within two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, symptoms such as pneumonia affect people of advanced age or with pre-existing medical conditions.

4.Do I need to wear a mask/ respirators?
According to the CDC, the routine use of respirators outside of medical workplace fields is not recommended.

Why?
Simply because to wear a respirator/mask, it has to be worn properly, Health workers are subjected to an annual fit-test before being outfitted with a respirator that suits them. Medical evaluations are required to make sure that healthcare personnel doesn’t have certain health concerns that would potentially undermine the respirator’s purpose.

Who needs to wear them?
These masks are recommended only for the use of healthcare personnel (HCP) who are exposed to airborne and fluid hazards.

5.How do I protect myself from Covid-19?
Since there is no vaccine for Covid-19 as of now, health officials have said that the following preventive measures would be able to curb the virus from spreading:

Washing your hands frequently – Regular washing of hands with soap and water/ rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer may kill the virus in your hands.
Practicing Social Distancing – Maintaining a 3 ft distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – Hands touch many surfaces, which can pick up viruses and bacteria. If contaminated with Covid-19 the virus can transfer to your eyes, nose or mouth.
Practice good hygiene – Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze with your bent elbow or tissue and then dispose of used tissue properly.
Be healthy – Consume vitamins C + D, eat plenty of vegetables, drink a lot of water, and exercise. Not only will these help you, but it will also contribute to the health of the people in your community.