Life as a Junior Doctor

While many people have succumbed to the disease since it has appeared to the world last December 2019, Covid-19 or coronavirus has not shown any sign of stopping anytime soon. Those who get the virus may show symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, loss of smell, and breathing difficulties or they may not show any symptom at all. Scientists and doctors are currently still trying to get better understanding of this disease, let alone finding a cure for it. One of the things that we know for sure is that it spreads through droplets. Since we are still unable to find cure for the virus as of now, the only thing that we can do is to stop it from spreading further. Below are some of the five simple yet effective methods to prevent coronavirus from mushrooming around your area.

1. Wash Hands and Use Hand Sanitiser

Washing hand with soap proves to be the best way to get rid of the virus on your hands. The coronavirus can remain active and linger on your hands for hours even though they are out from the hosts. The theory is that the soap will wash away the fatty outer layer surrounding the virus that sticks to our hands. The same theory applies to the alcohol based hand sanitiser that you carry around in your bag when you are outdoor and do not have access to water and soap. The video below by Ted-Ed tells you the difference between soap and alcohol.

2. Maintain Social Distancing

This is perhaps one of the most cumbersome tasks for everyone. It is undeniable that us human beings are social creatures and therefore it is just natural that we tend to stay in a group to socialise with one another from time to time. However, it is vital for us to maintain a social distance of one to two meter apart when we are out to ensure the the disease does not spread through contact. Video attached below showed you just how effective maintaining social distancing can be.

3. Wear Mask

As mentioned earlier in the post, coronavirus spreads through water droplets emitted from host to the victims. Wearing a mask does not only protect yourself from getting the virus from others, it also helps to prevent the cases from rising exponentially. While there are myths saying that wearing mask can decrease oxygen level in the body, that is not the case and it has been debunked through research done by the scientists. You could either use single-use mask or cloth mask as you like. Having said that, the video below shows the correct way to wear your mask.

4. Avoid Crowds

Going to places with crowds will definitely increase your risk of getting Covid-19. The risks are even higher for those who are vulnerable particularly the elderly, children, and those who are immune compromised with medical conditions such as cancer., respiratory diseases just to name a few. As the hosts may no show any symptom that they are infected, it is safe to keep yourself from going to a crowded place at all times. Governments of various countries have in fact ban concerts, marathons and conferences in view of rising covid cases. 

5. Isolate Yourself if You Are Sick

If you are developing symptoms of covid-19, the best thing for you to do is to stay at home and isolate yourself from others, including your loved ones. The isolation rules may vary according to countries, but generally you need to isolate for 14 days, be it home isolation or in a isolation center. If you are doing self isolation at home, you should not have any contact with your household members or going out from the house at all. If you are showing red flag symptoms such as breathing difficulty, you should go to the hospital immediately to seek for treatment,

I hope this post helps you to get a rough idea on how to fight against coronavirus and what you can do at the moment. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the heroes out there, not just the medical professionals but also those who are making sure the basic necessities and services are made available to the public during these tough times.