Coronavirus outbreak: Preventive measures to
tackle it
By Dr
Mukesh Sanklecha
The world seems to
be battling with the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that broke out in China in
December 2019 and has claimed several lives. Recently, India reported fresh coronavirus
cases, taking the total number of confirmed infections to more than a hundred.
Coronaviruses
(CoVs) are a large family of viruses that cause a range of illnesses from the
common cold to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
Importance of regular hand washing
Key measures that
need to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease include regular hand
washing, covering the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing and cooking
meats and eggs thoroughly.
I have been
emphasising that the four important symptoms that one should be concerned about
are fever, cough, breathlessness and loose motions. Interestingly, cold and a
running nose are much lower down in the list of symptoms indicating the
likelihood of getting the disease.
There are four key
steps that need to be taken by all of us to reduce the risk of contracting
Coronavirus. They include:
- ·
Frequent washing of hands
- ·
Using hand sanitisers
- ·
Adopting the right way to wash hands
- ·
Using hand sanitizers correctly
You must wash your
hands before and after cooking and eating, after touching raw food and, of course,
when your hands are dirty. You must also wash your hands after coughing or
sneezing, meeting people who are ill, after using toilets, and after touching
animals.
Fortunately, good
hand-washes are available in the market. Godrej Protekt, for instance, is mild
on the hands and has glycerine and essential oils. They also have Mr. Magic
hand-wash, the first-ever powder to liquid format hand-wash, which has the
power of neem and aloe vera, which protects your hands from germs and leaves
your skin feeling soft. This is a first in the world of hand-washes and an
extremely affordable hand-washing solution. It is as affordable as bar soaps
whilst being more hygienic. Hand sanitisers are also key to prevent the onset of
such diseases.
Be aware about the threats
Everyone must be
aware about the right way to prevent the spread of such diseases. Use lukewarm
water and hand-wash over soap whenever possible. Hand-wash can reduce
transmission rates of viral infection of any disease to a dramatic extent.
It is important to
lather for 20 seconds. As I say quite often, it is the time taken to sing
‘Happy Birthday’ twice. Clean the area between the fingers and under your nails
and then then wipe your hands with a tissue. You must use the tissue even to
close the tap and then dispose it of properly.
There are three key
points to note on the right way to use a hand sanitiser: pour, rub and wait
till it dries completely.
In the case of kids,
they cannot wash their hands properly all the time, so the use of a sanitiser
makes a lot of sense for them. Sanitising hands before having a meal is very
important, both for children and even adults. Other preventive measures that
need to be taken include avoiding raw or uncooked food and avoiding meat
markets.
(Dr Mukesh Sanklecha is a renowned Child Specialist
with a special interest in infectious diseases. The consultant pediatrician at
the Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences has been in private practice
for the past 25 years).
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