MEASURES TO BE TAKEN:

1. Avoid touching our eyes, nose and mouth:

Our hands touch door handles, keyboards, taps and numerous other surfaces, so the virus could easily be picked up this way. Rubbing tired eyes or touching your nose or mouth could transfer the virus from your hands into your body.

2. Wash your hands regularly: Clean your hands thoroughly and often, using plenty of soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub to kill any virus on your hands. Scrub for at least 20 seconds, making sure you clean fingers, thumbs and palms.

3. Practice respiratory hygiene: If you cough or sneeze, use a tissue and throw it in the trash afterwards. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into the crook of your arm instead of using your hand. If possible, avoid coughing or sneezing near other people.

4. Maintain social distancing: Be aware of people around you and keep your distance from anyone coughing or sneezing. Stay at least 1 meter away to prevent inhaling the small liquid droplets sprayed by coughs and sneezes. We should avoid shaking hand because of the new coronavirus because respiratory viruses can be passed by shaking hands and touching our eyes, nose and mouth. Greet people with a wave, a nod or a bow instead.

5. If any symptoms develop, seek medical care early: Stay at home if you feel unwell, and if you develop a fever, cough or difficulty breathing seek medical attention. Call in advance of your visit, and follow the advice of your local health provider – they will have the most up-to-date information on the situation in your area.

6. Stay informed: Accurate information about COVID-19 and its spread is essential. But beware, because there is a lot of misinformation, scaremongering and fake news floating around on social media that can hamper efforts to contain the virus.

The latest information is available by visiting trusted sources like the World Health Organization’s (WHO) information page^4-6.

Newly emerging public health guidance:

As the global crisis develops, so does the health advice. Here are some newer tips:

Drinking and smoking:

The WHO has warned about the risks of alcohol consumption, with it likely to "increase the health risks if a person becomes infected with the virus." The agency also warns about the negative effect of alcohol on immune systems.

Additionally, it says there's a risk from smoking. Both through the increased risk of transmission of the virus from hand to mouth as well as smoking's impact on the lungs.

Pregnancy:

The UK's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there is no additional risk to pregnant women or their babies:

"Pregnant women do not appear to be more severely unwell if they develop coronavirus than the general population. It is expected the large majority of pregnant women will experience only mild or moderate cold/flu like symptoms...

"There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage. There is also no evidence that the virus can pass to developing baby for a pregnant lady. It is therefore considered unlikely that if a pregnant lady has the virus it will cause abnormalities in the baby."

Schools and workplaces:

With many schools, workplaces and institutions closing around the world, the WHO has released guidance for how to prepare and communicate with people in those different settings.

Mental health: The WHO tells us to remember that the COVID-19 outbreak will have psychological as well as physical impacts. Here are its tips on coping:

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

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

Protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!

What to do to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19:

· Maintain at least a 1-metre distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance between yourself and others when indoors. The further away, the better.

· Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as possible.

Here are the basics of how to wear a mask:

· Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.

· Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth and chin.

· When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask, or dispose of a medical mask in a trash bin. Don’t use masks with valves.

How to make your environment safer?

· Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact.

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

§ 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. These environments are where the virus appears to spreads by respiratory droplets or aerosols more efficiently, so taking precautions is even more important.

· Meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in.

§ For more information on how to hold events like family gatherings, children’s football games and family occasions.

· Avoid crowded or indoor settings but if you can’t, then take precautions:

§ Open a window. Increase the amount of ‘natural ventilation’ when indoors.

§ WHO has published Q&As on ventilation and air conditioning for both the general public and people who manage public spaces and buildings.

§ Wear a mask

Don’t forget the basics of good hygiene:

· Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. This eliminates germs including viruses that may be on your hands.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.

· Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands. By following good ‘respiratory hygiene’, you protect the people around you from viruses, which cause colds, flu and COVID-19.

· Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently especially those which are regularly touched, such as door handles, faucets and phone screens.

What to do if you feel unwell?

· Know the full range of symptoms of COVID-19. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include loss of taste or smell, aches and pains, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, red eyes, diarrhoea, or a skin rash.

· Stay home and self-isolate even if you have minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Call your health care provider or hotline for advice. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house or have someone near you, wear a medical mask to avoid infecting others.

· If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Call by telephone first, if you can and follow the directions of your local health authority.

· Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Local and national authorities and public health units are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

The ACT-Accelerator is a collaboration launched in April by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners to support the development and equitable distribution of COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines.

Significant progress:

The Accelerator’s progress in just seven months has been significant, the WHO says, and includes the evaluation of more than 50 diagnostic tests; the roll-out of life-saving Dexamethasone treatments; the advancement of research into antibody treatments and preparations for the delivery of COVID-19 tools in four of six world regions.

The vaccines pillar of the ACT-Accelerator is called COVAX and has the world’s largest and most diverse portfolio of vaccines. It aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every participating country. Working with 189 countries, COVAX is supporting the development of nine vaccine candidates, eight of which are in clinical trials.

Panama government approves the emergency use of the vaccine produced by US company Pfizer and German company BioNTech, the country’s Health Ministry said⁷.

COVAX has secured hundreds of millions of doses of three promising candidates, including at least 200 million doses for low-income countries, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHO says.

CONCLUSION:

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in various ways. The deficiency of information, the need for accurate information, and the rapidity of its dissemination are important, as this pandemic requires the cooperation of entire populations. Everyone should always practice covering the face and nose with the inner side of the bent elbow, while sneezing or coughing. Everyone should maintain social distancing. Even the face mask is not "a substitute for social distancing." The minimum distance between two individuals should be at least 6 feet or 1.8 meters. If anyone develops minor symptoms like cough, headache, mild fever, he or she should stay at home and self-isolate. Everyone should have up to date knowledge regarding COVID-19 by seeking information from reliable sources [8]. By taking necessary required measures corona is prevented from occurring, since prevention is better than cure. Vaccination is also compulsory for each and every one along with all these measures.

Everyone should follow these measures:

Wear a mask and Save lives.

Wear a face cover:

Wash your hands:

Keep a safe distance:

REFERENCES:

1. World Health Organization (WHO) - How is COVID-19 spread? Mar 27, 2020.

2. Coronavirus disease 2019, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

3. WHO Health Topics page on COVID-19.

4. SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark. Disease Outbreak News. 6 November 2020.

5. WHO Scientific brief on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions.

6. WHO Public health considerations while resuming international travel.

7. Panama approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine - health ministry. December 16, 2020.

8. Kamangu E, Bulanda B, Bongenia B, Botomwito H, Mvumbi G, Mol P, Vaira D, Hayette M and Kalala R. Virological Profile of Patients Infected with HIV Starting Antiretroviral Treatment in Kinshasa. Open Access Library Journal 2015; 2(6):1-5.

Received on 30.07.2022 Modified on 27.12.2022

Asian J. Pharm. Res. 2023; 13(2):105-108.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5691.2023.00021