How to prepare yourself for COVID-19
According to WHO the COVID-19 belongs to a family of viruses that attack the respiratory system and the result of it can be a common cold or flu but can develop into severe cases of pneumonia. The fatality rate of the virus is approximately 3.4%, however most of the reported death cases are either older people or those with pre existing conditions.
In this article, we will look at preventive measures you can be taking, what to stock up on to stay prepared and finally what to do if you start feeling any symptoms of Coronavirus.
The first way to protect yourself and others from the virus is by staying home. If for any reason you are forced to leave your house you can take precautions by:
Washing your hands often for no less than 20 seconds as that has proved to be more effective than using sanitizers or rubbing alcohol
Avoid taking public transportation
Keep a distance of at least one meter / 6 feet from others
Take off your shoes before entering your house, change your clothes, dispose of any gloves or masks that you were wearing. Also disinfect your phone, watch, jewelry with rubbing alcohol
Most of you probably are already aware of the preventive methods mentioned above. However, what is not being addressed enough is information on how to prepare yourself for this virus, stay healthy, and how to act in case you or a family member is experiencing any symptoms.
First here are symptoms that people with coronavirus experience:
Common symptoms: dry cough, high fever and tiredness
Less common symptoms: loss of sense of smell and taste, runny nose, diarrhoea and sore throat
Good news is that 80% of coronavirus patients can treat themselves at home without the need for special treatment. Here’s how you can stay prepared:
Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and food rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C has been known to improve our immune system so now is the time to add plenty of it to your diet
Try to drink at least 2 litres of water a day
Add raw garlic and ginger to your diet. Garlic immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds such as allicin and ginger helps decrease inflammation which helps soothe a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses
Stop smoking cigarettes and water pipes (commonly known as hookah here). You're going to need your health to be at its tiptop at the moment, especially your lungs. Kicking this habit at least till this pandemic passes is highly recommended.
Get a humidifier. If you can't get one, boiling water and a towel will work just fine. It's useful because several studies have proved that humidity helps with thinning the mucus and eases breathing.
Get some rest and isolate yourself in a separate room if possible, disinfect any surface that you share with family members.
There has been no medicine or vaccine found for COVID-19, so avoid taking harsh medications or chemicals because you have seen it being shared in different media platforms by unreliable sources. People around the world have been drinking rubbing alcohol and taking hydroxychloroquine (a malaria medication) when they feel symptoms or think they contacted COVID-19, but that has resulted in 100s dying and even more getting hospitalized.
Lastly, for those in Ethiopia, if your symptoms are getting worse or you want to get tested for other reasons make sure you call on 8335 first before going to the hospital. The health professionals will tell you the right steps to follow in order to get tested and get treated without infecting others around you. Our hospitals will probably be overwhelmed in the coming few weeks, and you might even contact the virus from there, so avoid going directly.
Stay home and stay safe, everyone!