How to protect yourself from coronavirus

How to protect yourself from coronavirus infection

World Health Organization recommends people take simple precautions against virus to reduce exposure and transmission

A Chinese man wears a protective mask, goggles and coat during the lunar new year holiday in Beijing. Health authorities are urging people to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

A Chinese man wears a protective mask, goggles and coat during the lunar new year holiday in Beijing. Health authorities are urging people to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

The spread of the coronavirus across China and to at least 10 other countries including the US, South Korea and Japan has prompted experts and health authorities to offer advice on how to reduce the chances of contracting the illness.

All but four of the 80 reported deaths so far have been recorded in Hubei province where the outbreak started. Experts have warned, however, that about 100,000 people may already be infected – far more than the 2,700 cases reported by China’s National Health Commission in China.

The World Health Organisation is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the virus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine.

The UN agency advises people to:

Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

Avoid direct, unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals when visiting live markets in affected areas

Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods

Despite a surge in sales of face masks in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak, experts are divided over whether they can prevent transmission and infection of the airborne disease.

There is some evidence to suggest that masks can help prevent hand-to-mouth transmissions, given the large number of times people touch their faces – 23 times an hour, according to one study.

Dr David Carrington, of St George’s, University of London, told BBC News that “routine surgical masks for the public are not an effective protection against viruses or bacteria carried in the air”, because they were too loose, had no air filter and left the eyes exposed.

Masks could, however, help lower the risk of contracting a virus through the “splash” from a sneeze or a cough and offer some protection against hand-to-mouth transmissions, he said.

The consensus appears to be that wearing a mask can limit – but not eliminate – the risks, provided they are used correctly. That means securing them over the mouth, chin and nose, using the bendable metal strip at the top to keep it snug against the contours of the nose.

Experts say the best way to avoid germs, with coronavirus and other airborne illnesses, is to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, try not to touch your face or eyes and avoid contact with people displaying symptoms.

WHO experts advise against wearing gloves on the basis that hand-washing is more important and people wearing gloves are less likely to wash their hands.

This article was amended on 6 February 2020 to make it clear that China’s National Health Commission figures related to China.

Advice for the public: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Advice for the public

All COVID-19 Q&As

Small public gatherings and COVID-19

How to report misinformation

This page includes advice from WHO on ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The downloadable infographics below provide guidance on general and specific topics related to the pandemic.

Stay aware of the latest COVID-19 information by regularly checking updates from WHO in addition to national and local public health authorities.

Find out more about getting vaccinated:

Keep yourself and others safe: Do it all!

Protect yourself and those around you:

Wear a mask properly

To properly wear your mask:

More about masks:

Make your environment safer

The risks of getting COVID-19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity.

Outbreaks have been reported in places where people have gather, often in crowded indoor settings and where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing such as restaurants, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices and places of worship.

To make your environment as safe as possible:

Keep good hygiene

By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses that cause colds, flu and COVID-19.

To ensure good hygiene you should:

What to do if you feel unwell

If you feel unwell, here’s what to do.

Как обезопасить себя от коронавируса / How to protect yourself from coronavirus?

Уникальная технология уничтожения патогенных микроорганизмов (вирусов)!
подходит для дома, офиса, кафе, промышленных и торговых помещений

TION УНИЧТОЖАЕТ ВСЕ 4 ГРУППЫ ПАТОГЕННЫХ МИКРООРГАНИЗМОВ

(Экспертное заключение роспотребнадзора №04-39/13 от 5 мая 2015 года и № 04-94/13 от 21 Августа 2012 года)

Ссылка на разрешительные документы, заключение роспотребнадзора и экспертные заключение ведущих Российских научных институтов и медицинских учреждений

Профилактика коронавируса. Рекомендации Роспотребнадзора.

На сайте Роспотребнадзора появилась подробная инструкция о том, как обезопасить себя от заражения новым видом коронавируса. Делимся ею с вами.

Что такое коронавирусы?

Коронавирусы — это семейство вирусов, которые преимущественно поражают животных, но в некоторых случаях могут передаваться человеку. Обычно заболевания, вызванные коронавирусами, протекают в лёгкой форме, не вызывая тяжёлой симптоматики.

Однако, бывают и тяжёлые формы, такие как ближневосточный респираторный синдром (Mers) и тяжёлый острый респираторный синдром (Sars).

Каковы симптомы заболевания, вызванного новым коронавирусом?

Симптомы во многом сходны со многими респираторными заболеваниями, часто имитируют обычную простуду, могут походить на грипп.

Если у вас есть аналогичные симптомы, подумайте о следующем:

Как передаётся коронавирус?

Как и другие респираторные вирусы, коронавирус распространяется через капли, которые образуются, когда инфицированный человек кашляет или чихает.

Кроме того, он может распространяться, когда кто-то касается любой загрязнённой поверхности, например дверной ручки. Люди заражаются, когда они касаются загрязнёнными руками рта, носа или глаз.

Изначально, вспышка произошла от животных, предположительно, источником стал рынок морепродуктов в Ухани, где шла активная торговля не только рыбой, но и такими животными, как сурки, змеи и летучие мыши.

Как защитить себя от заражения?

Как правильно носить медицинскую маску?

Что можно сделать дома?

Можно ли вылечить новый коронавирус?

Да, разумеется. Однако не существует специфического противовирусного препарата от нового коронавируса — так же, как нет специфического лечения от большинства других респираторных вирусов, вызывающих простудные заболевания.

Кто в группе риска?

Люди всех возрастов рискуют заразиться вирусом. В заявлении комиссии по здравоохранению Ухани говорится, что возраст 60 самых последних случаев составляет от 15 до 88 лет.

Однако, как и в случае большинства других вирусных респираторных заболеваний, дети и люди старше 65 лет, люди с ослабленной иммунной системой — в зоне риска тяжёлого течения заболевания.

Есть ли вакцина для нового коронавируса?

В настоящее время такой вакцины нет, однако, в ряде стран, в том числе в России в научных организациях Роспотребнадзора уже начаты её разработки.

В чем разница между коронавирусом и вирусом гриппа?

Коронавирус и вирус гриппа могут иметь сходные симптомы, но генетически они абсолютно разные.

Как определить у себя наличие коронавируса?

Своевременная диагностика является одним из важнейших мероприятий при возникновении угрозы появления и распространения нового коронавируса на территории России.

Научными организациями Роспотребнадзора менее чем за 7 дней с момента появления информации о структуре генов нового коронавируса разработаны два варианта диагностических наборов для определения присутствия вируса в организме человека.

Наборы основаны на молекулярно-генетическом методе исследования, так называемой полимеразной цепной реакции (ПЦР). Использование этого метода дает тест-системам значительные преимущества.

Первое это высокая чувствительность – с использованием разработанных тест-систем возможно обнаруживать единичные копии вирусов.

Диагностические лаборатории Роспотребнадзора по всей России обладают необходимым оборудованием и специалистами для использования разработанных средств диагностики.

В целях недопущения распространения случаев заболеваний, вызванных новым коронавирусом в Российской Федерации необходимо соблюдать меры предосторожности:

Роспотребнадзор рекомендует заранее планировать свои поездки при посещении КНР и воздержаться от поездок до стабилизации ситуации.

Купить Бактерицидный рециркулятор, современное медицинское оборудование, Компактная приточная вентиляция, Обеззараживатель воздуха, очиститель воздуха, Бесконтактные дозаторы спиртового антисептика, антисептик у нас на сайте вы можете заполнив заявку в свободной форме на почту Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра. или же позвонив по телефону +7 (343) 361-44-98.

How to protect yourself against coronavirus

How to avoid catching the coronavirus. A visual guide Illustration: Guardian Design

World Health Organization recommends people take these simple precautions against coronavirus to reduce exposure and transmission
Please note: this article was published on 2 March 2020. Updated WHO advice is here. Latest Guardian explainers are here.

How does the coronavirus spread?

The Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak is a new illness and scientists are still assessing how it spreads from person to person, but similar viruses tend to spread via cough and sneeze droplets.

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, they release droplets of saliva or mucus. These droplets can fall on people in the vicinity and can be either directly inhaled or picked up on the hands then transferred when someone touches their face, causing infection. For flu, some hospital guidelines define exposure as being within six feet of an infected person who sneezes or coughs for 10 minutes or longer.

Stay six feet from infected individuals.

Viruses can also be spread through droplets landing on surfaces such as seats on buses or trains or desks in school. However, whether this is a main transmission route depends on how long viruses survive on surfaces – this can vary from hours to months.

There is anecdotal evidence that the virus can be spread by people before they have symptoms. Some other illnesses such as flu can be passed from one person to another before symptoms occur – but the extent to which this is happening with the new coronavirus is not well understood yet.

How to protect yourself and others

Wash your hands.

Wash your hands: wet your hands with clean, running water and apply soap. Lather your hands, including the backs, between your fingers, and under your nails and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Rinse.

Cover your mouth.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the bin and wash your hands. If you do not have a tissue to hand, cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than your hands.

Face masks offer some protection.

Face masks offer some protection as they block liquid droplets. However, they do not block smaller aerosol particles that can pass through the material of the mask. The masks also leave the eyes exposed and there is evidence that some viruses can infect a person through the eyes.

Seek medical help.

Seek early medical help if you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share your travel history with healthcare providers.

Avoid live animals.

If visiting live markets in affected areas avoid direct, unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces that have been in contact with animals.

Avoid raw foods.

If you have returned from an affected area in the last two weeks, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people for 14 days. This means not going to work, school or public areas.

Seek medical advice before leaving home.

If you have returned from an infected area and develop a high temperature, cough, runny nose, sore throat or difficulty breathing do not leave your home until you have been given advice by a doctor.

How to Protect Yourself and Others

COVID-19 Prevention Actions

There are many ways your actions can help protect you, your household, and your community from severe illness from COVID-19. CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels provide information about the amount of severe illness in the community where you are located to help you decide when to take action to protect yourself and others.

Prevention Actions to Use at All COVID-19 Community Levels

In addition to basic health and hygiene practices, like handwashing, CDC recommends some prevention actions at all COVID-19 Community Levels, which include:

Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines help your body develop protection from the virus that causes COVID-19. Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19. CDC recommends that everyone who is eligible get a booster and stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, especially people with weakened immune systems.

If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised or severely allergic to COVID-19 vaccines: Talk with a healthcare provider about whether you are eligible for a medicine called Evusheld that you can take before you are exposed to the virus. This medicine is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies provided together. Evusheld can help prevent infection from the virus that causes COVID-19 for 6 months. See additional information for making a COVID-19 plan to protect yourself from infection.

To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

Improving Ventilation and Spending Time Outdoors

Improving ventilation (moving air into, out of, or within a room) and filtration (trapping particles on a filter to remove them from the air) can help prevent virus particles from accumulating in indoor air. Improving ventilation and filtration can help protect you from getting infected with and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Spending time outside when possible instead of inside can also help: Viral particles spread between people more readily indoors than outdoors.

CDC’s interactive ventilation tools can help you see how much you can improve ventilation in your home or school.

Moving indoor activities outdoors

You are less likely to be infected with COVID-19 during outdoor activities because virus particles do not build up in the air outdoors as much as they do indoors. As the COVID-19 Community Level rises, consider increasing the number of group activities you move outside.

Financial support may be available to certain entities, like schools, to make ventilation improvements.

Getting Tested for COVID-19 If Needed

Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms. A viral test tells you if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. There are two types of viral tests: rapid tests and laboratory tests. These tests might use samples from your nose or throat, or saliva. Knowing if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 allows you to take care of yourself and take actions to reduce the chance that you will infect others.

CDC’s Viral Testing Tool is an online, mobile-friendly tool that asks a series of questions and recommends actions and resources based on your responses. It can help you interpret what your test result means.

You can also access tests the following ways:

Following Recommendations for What to Do If You Have Been Exposed

If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you may have been infected with the virus. Follow CDC’s recommendations for what to do if you were exposed. This includes wearing a high-quality mask when indoors around others (including inside your home) for 10 days, testing, and monitoring yourself for symptoms.

Staying Home When You Have Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19

If you have COVID-19, you can spread it to others, even if you do not have symptoms. If you have symptoms, get tested and stay home until you have your results. If you have tested positive (even without symptoms), follow CDC’s isolation recommendations. These recommendations includes staying home and away from others for at least 5 days (possibly more, depending on how the virus affects you) and wearing a high-quality mask when indoors around others for a period of time.

Seeking Treatment If You Have COVID-19 and Are at High Risk of Getting Very Sick

Effective treatments are now widely available and free, and you may be eligible.

Avoiding Contact with People Who Have Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19

Avoiding contact with people who have COVID-19, whether or not they feel sick, can reduce your risk of catching the virus from them. If possible, avoid being around a person who has COVID-19 until they can safely end home isolation. Sometimes it may not be practical for you to stay away from a person who has COVID-19 or you may want to help take care of them. In those situations, use as many prevention strategies as you can, such as practicing hand hygiene, consistently and correctly wearing a high-quality mask, improving ventilation, and keeping your distance, when possible, from the person who is sick or who tested positive.

Prevention Actions to Add as Needed

There are some additional prevention actions that may be done at any level, but CDC especially recommends considering in certain circumstances or at medium or high COVID-19 Community Levels.

Wearing Masks or Respirators

Masks are made to contain droplets and particles that you breathe, cough, or sneeze out. A variety of masks are available. Some masks provide a higher level of protection than others.

Respirators (for example, N95) are made to protect you by fitting closely on the face to filter out particles, including the virus that causes COVID-19. They can also block droplets and particles you breathe, cough, or sneeze out so you do not spread them to others. Respirators (for example, N95) provide higher protection than masks.

When wearing a mask or respirator (for example, N95), it is most important to choose one that you can wear correctly, that fits closely to your face over your mouth and nose, that provides good protection, and that is comfortable for you.

Increasing Space and Distance

Small particles that people breathe out can contain virus particles. The closer you are to a greater number of people, the more likely you are to be exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. To avoid this possible exposure, you may want to avoid crowded areas, or keep distance between yourself and others. These actions also protect people who are at high risk for getting very sick from COVID-19 in settings where there are multiple risks for exposure.