Preventive Measures for Coronavirus

The sudden spread of a new strain of virus known as Coronavirus threatens to affect the global economy. According to latest reports, as many as 106 people have so far fallen victim to the deadly Coronavirus that originated in Wuhan in China. With new cases of people being infected by the deadly virus emerging every day, the number of detected cases has gone over 2,700.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, governments and respective health departments of all countries have sprung into action and have started putting the patients in quarantine. They have also issued travel advisory to their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China in general and Wuhan in particular.

In this blog, Student Cover brings you a list of measures that could help prevent a student from getting infected by the virus. But before that, let’s find out what Coronavirus is and what the symptoms of coronavirus infection are.

What is Coronavirus?

It is a group viruses that is found to infect mammals such as cows and pigs as well as birds such as chicken. While most Coronaviruses are categorized as mild, they can be fatal at times. What makes Coronavirus very different from others is the way they attack the host. While a coronavirus can cause diarrhea in mammals lime cows and pigs, they create respiratory problems for birds such as chicken. The Coronavirus that originated in Wuhan is a human coronavirus, much like SARS – CoV that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and caused infection in respiratory tracts in humans way back in 2003-05.

Symptoms of Coronavirus Infection

While the Wuhan Coronavirus (2019-nCov) where ‘n’ stands for novel, is a potentially deadlier one, coronaviruses per say aren’t. They are found quite commonly and every human being gets affected by it in his or her lifetime. They cause common-cold in humans as well as illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia. They cause upper respiratory infection.

The three major symptoms of 2019-nCov are as follows

FEVER– Like a common cold, Coronavirus causes fever in the patient infected by the virus. However, any person suffering from cold or fever should not jump into conclusion that he or she has been infected by the Wuhan virus.

RUNNING NOSE – Since the virus affects the upper respiratory system in human beings, those suffering from Coronavirus suffer from running nose.

COUGH AND BREATHING DIFFICULTY– The very fact that coronaviruses affect the respiratory system leads to constant cough and difficulty in breathing. Like SARS, the 2019-nCov has also been found to cause breathing problems.

Preventive Measures to be taken

The following preventive measures should be applied by people in order to save themselves from getting infected by the deadly virus.

1. Observe good personal hygiene

2. Practice frequent hand washing with soap.

3. Follow respiratory etiquette -cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

4. Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness, such as cough, runny nose etc.

5. Avoid contact with live animals and consumption of raw/undercooked meats. Avoid travel to farms, live animal markets or where animals are slaughtered.

6. Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose.

In case one is suffering from cold and cough, one should take the following measures to prevent the possible spread of the infection

1. Stay indoors during the period of sickness

2. Try to avoid coming in close contact with others (self quarantine)

3. Keep a tissue paper so as to cover one’s mouth and nose when you coughing or sneezing,

4. After sneezing or coughing, throw away the tissue paper and wash your hands and mouth with anti-septic soap.

5. Maintain cleanliness at home and use disinfectants on objects and surfaces so as to remove any trace of virus that might have accidentally spread.

6. Drink lots of liquids and stay hydrated. If one is eating meat or chicken, make sure that it is thoroughly cooked.

In Conclusion

Since there are no vaccines and antiviral drugs available at the moment for the 2019-nCov, prevention is the only way in which a person can stay protected against the deadly virus. Students who are going abroad for higher education must take extra precaution. While traveling on public transport or flight, they should wear a protective mask and keep hand sanitizer with them so as to keep their hands clean from infectious viruses. If one feels sick and develops respiratory problems, one should drink lots of fluids and avoid going out. They should immediately see a doctor and undertake tests to determine whether they have been infected by the virus.

Disclaimer: The following blog is based on the personal research of the writer. The measures suggested in this blog are general guidelines and are not a substitute for expert medical advice. Readers’ discretion is advised. Neither Student Cover nor the writer will be held responsible for any wrongful interpretation of the content of this blog.