Coronavirus Prevention Guide

The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide is increasing day by day and Belarus is no exception. WHO and the Ministry of Health give recommendations on preventing coronavirus, but Belarusians are not in a hurry to comply with the prescribed measures. We will tell you why it is important to protect yourself and your loved ones, what the virus is afraid of, and how to minimize the risk of infection.

How to protect yourself from the coronavirus?

Only a person who goes on a long period of isolation can fully protect yourself from the coronavirus. However, for various reasons it is not possible to maintain a full house quarantine - one way or another, you need to go out to the store, walk your dog, and go to work or study.

To minimize the risk of infection, the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health of Belarus should adhere to the following recommendations:

• to carry an antiseptic and wash your hands often with soap;
• do not visit places where there are large concentrations of people: cinemas, restaurants, cafes and so on;
• minimize travel by public transport;
• do not go out to the shop during rush hours, but arrange delivery if possible;
• protect the airways with masks, eyes with goggles and hands with gloves;
• do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with dirty hands;
• do not contact with unfamiliar people;
• disinfect door handles with antiseptic when you come home;
• do frequent wet cleaning in the house;
• do not wear a mask for more than two hours;
• throw out the mask only in an airtight package;
• do not touch the mask with your hands outside;
• remove and put on the mask correctly;
• avoid travel to neighboring countries and cities.

People with poor immunity and chronic diseases are at risk, so it is worth observing self-isolation and all preventive measures developed by WHO and the Ministry of Health.

Picture 1 Photo by kem.kp.rf

What are coronaviruses?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that, as of January 2020, include 40 species of RNA-containing viruses, combined into two families. Coronavirus COVID-19 infection is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Coronaviruses affect the respiratory system and the human gastrointestinal tract, but this is not the only thing dangerous. Coronavirus has a specific penetration mechanism - it penetrates the cell through its membrane and is embedded in human DNA. This leads to damage to tissues in the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract, causing further complications.

Coronaviruses do not penetrate through the cell membrane in a chaotic order, but attack the transmembrane receptors and mimic S-proteins important for life, which leads to complicated recognition of the virus by the immune system.

Some coronaviruses are contagious even before symptoms appear in an infected person.

If you become infected with coronavirus, you may experience the following complications:

• pneumonia;
• reduced lung volume;
• arrhythmia;
• respiratory failure, which develops a marked lack of oxygen;
• acute kidney failure;
• complication of severe infectious diseases;
• formation of blood clots in blood vessels;
• complication of pregnancy.

Symptoms of coronavirus in humans

Symptoms of COVID-2019:

• pain in swallowing and sneezing;
• rhinitis;
• headache;
• reduced oxygen content in the body or individual organs and tissues;
• coughing;
• temperature rise;
• chill;
• muscle pain.

How is coronavirus transmitted?

Coronavirus can be transmitted from an infected person or animal. The mechanisms of disease transmission:

• by airborne droplets;
• airborne dust;
• fecal-oral;
• through contact with an infected person.

The incubation period is about 5 days, but may last from 2 to 14 days.

Distribution of coronavirus COVID-19

Coronavirus was first isolated in 1956 from patients with acute respiratory viral infection (AVI). However, coronaviruses did not attract attention until an outbreak of SARS, also known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, was reported in China in 2002-2003. The SARS-SoV virus caused the disease. The disease has spread to other countries. A total of 8,273 people fell ill and 775 died. The lethality was 9.6%.

In 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by freshly detected 2019-nCoV began in China and soon spread to other countries.

So far, cases have been confirmed in 202 countries. The strongest foci of the virus are in the USA, Italy, Spain and China.

Picture 2 Photo by delo.ua

Can the new coronavirus be cured?

Treatment of mild to moderate coronavirus involves treating symptoms. They use medication to reduce fever, cough medicine, cold medicine and so on.

Medication is used to treat severe forms of coronavirus.

Pharmacotherapy coronavirus:

• antiviral drugs;
• specific immunoglobulins;
• corticosteroids.

Corticosteroids are prescribed for progressive deterioration of clinical picture, prolonged lymphopenia, and reduction of blood oxygen saturation.

In the development of severe complications shows the use of antibiotics, artificial lung ventilation.

Good results were obtained with administration of plasma from SARS patients to severe patients.

How to determine coronavirus availability?

Coronavirus is not diagnosed clinically, because only test systems can determine the presence of coronavirus in the body. Therefore, it is best to go to your health center or call the Ministry of Health hotline - specialists will tell you where you can take the coronavirus test.

Coronavirus prevention measures in adults

In addition to the prevention measures mentioned above, it is recommended to stay at home during the period of high morbidity, it is also necessary to limit contacts with people around, avoid crowding and not to visit public places with large crowds.

Do not take antibiotics or give them to children without a doctor - this can also weaken your health.

Measures to prevent coronavirus in children

Coronavirus in children may spread to the lower respiratory tract, causing chest pain during breathing and breathing. Laryngeal inflammation, cervical lymphadenitis, whistling and dry wheezing in the lungs are observed.

No specific prophylactic measures for coronavirus yet. There's no vaccine yet. If you have the slightest symptoms of the disease, you should consult a doctor.

Preventing coronavirus in humans – main recommendation

Rule 1. Wash your hands often with soap

To reduce the risk of coronavirus and other infections, WHO recommends washing your hands with water and soap as often as possible - this reduces the number of germs on your hands.

Hands should be washed for 20 minutes, grabbing areas of the palms and forearms. When washing your hands in public places, it is better to use paper towels rather than dryers.

Rule 2. Keep distance and etiquette

The minimum distance between people in public places shall be 1-1.5 meters. Also avoid using the same dishes, mask and handkerchief, do not eat with dirty hands.

Rule 3. Lead a healthy life

Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and junk food for a while, as it weakens your immunity. During the virus, give more fruits and vegetables as well as vitamins A, E, D and C to your diet.

Rule 4. Protect your respiratory system with a medical mask

The Ministry of Health of Belarus gives the following recommendations for the use of medical masks:

• wash hands with soap and treat with an alcohol-containing solution;
• hold the mask by tie-loops or rubber bands close to the face with the white side inside and fix it with tie-loops or rubber bands when the mouth and nose are fully covered;
• at the end, give the mask a flexible strip of shape to ensure that it fits snugly into the face;
• remove the product by holding the tie bars or elastic bands at the back without touching the front of the mask;
• throw the mask into a lockable waste container;
• wash hands with soap or treat with an alcoholic solution;
• if necessary, put on a new mask.

Rules for use of the mask:

• use the mask for a maximum of 2 hours;
• if the mask is wet or moistened, it should be replaced immediately;
• do not touch the secured mask with your hands;
• wash hands thoroughly with soap or treat with alcohol-containing solution after touching the mask;
• do not reuse disposable masks;
• disposable masks must be washed separately, after washing, stroke with a hot iron on both sides.

What should I do if I have a coronavirus infection?

If you show signs of pneumonia, fever and cough, you should consult a doctor who will inform you of the next steps. If you have returned from another country and found symptoms, the doctor should inform you that you were abroad.

If the coronavirus test shows a positive result, the doctor will inform the local health authorities and the patient will be hospitalized in a specially equipped isolation ward. At the hospital, doctors will monitor you and every few hours you will have to take your temperature and take a coronavirus test every fourteen days.

Picture 3 Photo by vedomosti.ru

Coronavirus infection is scarier than the usual acute respiratory viral infection and influenza, as COVID-19 causes serious complications in the lungs and after the disease is reduced by several times. Coronavirus, as well as other respiratory diseases do not produce immunity - COVID-19 can get sick several times, and complications will not wait. So observe all preventive measures prescribed by WHO and the Ministry of Health, and if you have the opportunity, stay home.