Protecting yourself and others during the COVID-19 pandemic
Written by J Cameron
It’s been three months since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic, and while the situation is improving in many parts of the world, globally it is worsening.
‘More than 7 million cases of COVID-19 and over 400 000 deaths have now been reported to WHO. Although the situation in Europe is improving, globally it is worsening. On Sunday, more than 136 000 cases were reported, the most in a single day so far. In countries seeing positive signs, the WHO Director-General warned in his media briefing yesterday “the biggest threat now is complacency”.’
WHO Situation Report, 9 June 2020 (source)
In Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public, the WHO outlines best practices for keeping yourself and others safe. We’ve broken this advice down into three categories:
- Hand Washing
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Interacting with Others
1. Hand Washing
TL;DR:
🚰 Visibly dirty hands should be washed with soap and running water.
👋 Alcohol-based hand rub can be used for hands that are not visibly dirty.
2. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
TL;DR:
✅ Do
- Regularly wash your bare hands
- Choose a mask made of at least three 3️⃣ layers of different material
- Wear a mask in confined or crowded environments
- Wear a mask while working in health facilities with widespread transmission
❌ Don’t
- Wear rubber gloves in public
⚠️ Masks alone are not sufficient protection from COVID-19.
a) Gloves ✋
Rubber gloves are not an effective form of PPE. Infection can occur when a contaminated glove touches your face.
b) Masks 😷
On 5 June 2020, the WHO took to Twitter to clarify three of the five ws of masks.
Who should wear a mask? When should a mask be worn?
👨👨👧👦 The general public should wear a mask on public transport, in stores, and in other confined or crowded environments.
🏥 Those working in clinical areas of a health facility with widespread transmission should wear a medical mask.
⚠️ Masks alone do not provide adequate protection from COVID-19 and can foster a false sense of security.
What should masks be made of?
3️⃣ Fabric masks should consist of at least three layers of different material.
In a series of tweets, the WHO reiterated the aspects of their PPE advice that haven’t changed.
They then laid out new recommendations regarding who should wear a mask and where masks should be worn.
In a following thread, the WHO established new guidelines regarding the composition and safe use of masks.
3. Interacting with Others
a) Grocery Shopping
Standard physical distancing protocols apply while grocery shopping; stay at least one metre away from others and don’t touch your face. If possible, sanitize shopping carts and baskets before using them. Wash your hands immediately when you get home, as well as after handling your purchases.
The WHO reports no confirmed cases of COVID-19 transmitted through food or food packaging.
b) Hand Shaking
COVID-19 can be transmitted through hand shakes. The WHO advises we replace this behaviour with nodding or bowing.
c) Protesting
‘WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism. We encourage all those protesting around the world to do so safely: as much as possible, keep at least 1 metre from others, clean your hands, cover your cough and wear a mask if you attend a protest.’
WHO Situation Report, 9 June 2020 (source)
Stay updated about the Coronavirus pandemic.
Have questions about COVID-19? Check out the WHO’s WhatsApp service here 👉 http://bit.ly/who-covid19-whatsapp
About the Writer:
J Cameron is an Applied Linguistics student and First Aid Instructor at the University of Victoria. They just celebrated one month as a content writer and editor with FightPandemics! Follow us to get more of J.
