Top 10 Most Effective Measures for Preventing Coronavirus

Coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) is a new type of respiratory virus causing acute respiratory tract infections in humans. This virus originally emerged from animals but has the potential to spread from person to person. In humans, the virus spreads from one person to another through contact with the body fluids of the sick person, coughing, sneezing, or shaking hands can expose those around to infection. This virus has been identified with outbreaks in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has now spread to 30/31 provinces in China (with many deaths) and 18 other countries (including Vietnam) with people positive for the new strain of the coronavirus.

Patients with 2019-nCoV can range from mild to severe symptoms including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms can appear from 2 to 14 days after exposure to the source of the disease. By onset, the disease can progress to severe pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death, especially in people with chronic diseases, weakened immune systems. There is currently no specific treatment and no vaccine for prevention.

Infectious disease experts also emphasize that each person needs to be responsible to the community to prevent the spread of the disease. Given the complex developments of acute respiratory infections caused by the new strain of Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and the anxiety of the people, the Ministry of Health has issued general recommendations to the people of Vietnam, advising those who go to China and advising those who return from China to prevent the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus (2019-nCoV). In the current situation, it is recommended that you avoid traveling to epidemic areas and especially when there are signs of fever, cough, difficulty breathing, do not travel, call a medical facility for advice.

This virus initially emerged from animal sources but has the potential to spread from person to person. It's important to note that person-to-person transmission can occur continuously. In humans, the virus spreads from one person to another through contact with the body fluids of the sick person. Depending on the degree of viral spread, coughing, sneezing, or shaking hands can expose those around to infection.

The virus can also be transmitted when someone touches an object that the infected person has touched, then brings it to their mouth, nose, or eyes. Caregivers may also be exposed to the virus when handling patient waste. Covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, preferably with a cloth or tissue, or sleeve, to reduce the spread of respiratory secretions. Avoid spitting in public places.

As of now, many announcements have been made regarding the diagnosis and treatment of Wuhan acute respiratory pneumonia by the National Health Commission. In which, the corona virus is known to be transmitted through respiratory secretions or contact between people. Signs of infection are cough, fever, shortness of breath, and if you find cases with the above symptoms, you should limit contact because the US and South Korea have had cases of corona virus transmitted from person to person. Scientists are assessing the transmission method of this virus strain. But most viruses spread through saliva when coughing, sneezing. When infected people cough, sneeze, they excrete saliva or mucus. Those around may inhale or touch the container containing the virus and then become infected. For most flu patients, the exposure range is 1.8 meters, lasting 10 minutes or more.

• Ensure that you understand and can help the patient follow the instructions of the health care provider. You need to help the patient with basic needs at home and support grocery delivery, prescriptions, and other personal needs.
• Only essential caregivers should stay indoors.
• Other family members should stay elsewhere. If this is not possible, they need to stay in another room, or separate from the patient as much as possible. Use a separate bathroom, if available.
• Limit unnecessary visitors to the house.
• Keep the elderly and immunocompromised or chronically ill people away from the patient.
• Ensure good ventilation for shared spaces indoors, for example, with air conditioning or by opening windows when weather conditions allow.
• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with a concentration of at least 60%. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wear a mask, gown, and disposable gloves when you touch or come into contact with any of the patient's materials: blood, body fluids and/or secretions, such as sweat, saliva, sputum, nasal discharge, vomit, urine, or feces.
• Dispose of disposable masks, gowns, and gloves after use. No reuse.
• Wash hands immediately after removing masks, gowns, and gloves.
• Avoid sharing household items. You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with the patient. After the patient uses these items, you must wash/clean them thoroughly.

In any advice on preventing coronavirus infection, the Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of proper hand washing. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health advises people to wash their hands thoroughly with soap frequently, several times a day, especially before eating, after using the toilet. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth throughout the day as much as possible.

While masks prevent the risk of coronavirus infection, washing hands with soap or antiseptic solution has bactericidal effects. Experts recommend that when washing hands, you should never do it casually but must rub, scrub for at least 20 seconds under running water to remove secretions from your hands. The Ministry of Health has conducted propaganda printing 6 steps of proper hand hygiene recommended by WHO in personal hygiene:

• Step 1: Wet both hands with clean water. Apply soap to the palms. Rub the palms together.
• Step 2: Use the fingers and palms of one hand to roll and rotate each finger of the other hand and vice versa.
• Step 3: Use the palm of this hand to scrub diagonally across the palm of the other hand and vice versa.
• Step 4: Use the fingertips of the palm of this hand to rub into the gaps between the fingers of the other hand and vice versa.
• Step 5: Clump the 5 fingertips of this hand against the palm of the other hand by rotating them back and forth.
• Step 6: Rinse the hands thoroughly under clean water. Dry hands with a clean towel or paper.

Note that the minimum time for each hand washing is 1 minute, steps 2, 3, 4, 5 are repeated at least 5 times each step. Thus, by spending at least 1 minute performing the above behavior, each person can protect their health, loved ones, and the community because this behavior has maximally eliminated bacteria, reducing the risk of contracting and spreading diseases through dirty hands.

If you have a fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, within 14 days after traveling from China or after close contact with a person awaiting test results or infected person, call a healthcare professional and report your travel or close contact status. Healthcare experts will determine if you need to be tested for 2019-nCoV.

The National Nutrition Institute also emphasizes adhering to the principle of eating well-cooked food and drinking boiled water, avoiding the use of personal chopsticks or spoons to take shared dishes to limit the risk of virus transmission. Additionally, individual spoons, forks, and chopsticks should be provided on the table to take food into separate bowls. Absolutely avoid sharing drinking glasses or containers with others.

People living in affected areas should avoid eating raw meat, take measures to protect when handling raw meat, milk, and animal organs, and avoid cross-contamination with uncooked food. When preparing food at home, use aprons, gloves, and masks. Use separate knives and cutting boards when cooking to prevent cross-contamination from raw food to cooked food. Wash hands with soap and clean water to remove pathogens after contact with raw food or before handling cooked food.

For people outside the community, according to the Ministry of Health, everyone can use cloth masks or regular medical masks. However, for those directly caring for or treating corona-infected patients or those entering outbreak areas, they need to be equipped with specialized N95 masks and other specialized masks.

Correct way to wear a mask:

For regular cloth masks, people need to:

• Cover both the nose and mouth.
• Avoid touching the mask when wearing it.
• Avoid touching the mask with hands to remove it.
• When removing the mask, only grab the ear loops to take it off.
• Regularly wash the mask with soap for reuse.
• Regularly wash hands with soap to prevent illness.

For regular medical masks, one should:

• Wear the blue side outwards, white side inwards, with the aluminum strip facing upwards.
• Cover both the nose and mouth.
• Avoid touching the mask with hands to remove it.
• When removing the mask, only grab the ear loops to take it off and dispose of it in the trash.
• Regularly wash hands with soap to prevent illness.

This remedy serves as a folk reference, and you should prepare it for yourself and your loved ones in the face of the looming pandemic threat.

Ingredients:

• Lime (Local lime with seeds) Wash thoroughly and freeze until hard, then peel. The reason for freezing is that when you peel, the oil under the peel will remain and not evaporate.
• Lemongrass (Whole root) Wash and lightly crush.
• Honey (Forest honey is preferable)

Instructions:

• Bring water to a boil, add lemongrass and lime peel, then stir well.
• Turn off the heat, cover, let it cool, then strain into a container and mix in honey (depending on preference), then store in the refrigerator.

Usage:

• Drink 1 cup, about 100ml, as soon as you wake up in the morning (if bitter, dilute with water).
• Drink 1 cup of 100ml between meals.
• Drink 1 cup of 100ml before going to bed.
• Note: The bitter taste aids digestion.

Remember: Drink continuously for 3 days, and your respiratory system will be thoroughly clean and healthy. If you still have doubts, feel free to take chest X-rays before and after the 3-day course. Besides lung benefits, lime and lemongrass also contain a detoxifying element beneficial for the intestines and liver.

Keep your body warm, enhance health through diet, rest, proper activities, and exercise. Improve airflow in the living area by opening doors and windows, and limit the use of air conditioning.

Regularly clean the floor, doorknobs, and surfaces of objects in the house with common cleaning agents, such as soap and other regular antibacterial solutions.

COVID-19 primarily spreads through close contact (within about 6 feet or 2 meters) over a prolonged period. The virus spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and small droplets from their mouth or nose enter the air and land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. These droplets can also be inhaled into the lungs. Recent studies have shown that people infected but without symptoms can play a significant role in the spread of COVID-19. Because people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from others when possible can be crucial, even if you or others do not have any symptoms.

If you have COVID-19, have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, it is important to stay home and keep your distance from others until it is safe to be around others.