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WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS?

According to WHO, Coronavirus is a family of viruses known for containing strains that cause potentially deadly disease in mammals and birds. It’s spread by airborne droplets of fluids produced by infected individuals.

 WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

• Fever
• Severe Cough
• Difficult breathing
• Diarrhea
• Pneumonia
• Kidney failure

How to Prevent Coronavirus Spread.

This are standard recommendations to prevent infection spread;

1. Vast education to the public in order to minimize transmission
2. Hand sanitization –clean hands with soap and water or alcohol based hand rub.
3. Regularly clean surfaces with disinfectants.
4. Reconsider travel to affected countries
5. Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or tissue and dispose off immediately in a covered bin.
6. Seek help early when you have cough and breathing difficulties.
7. Wear mask properly around others.
8. If you feel sick contact a professional doctor before you go out.

Below are a number of questions and answers about COVID-19 as shared by Harvard Health Publishing site.

Does the coronavirus spread person-to-person?

Yes, the virus can spread from one person to another, most likely through droplets of saliva or mucus carried in the air for up to six feet or so when an infected person coughs or sneezes or through viral particles transferred when shaking hands or sharing a drink with someone who has the virus.

Basic steps for avoiding flu and other infections including hand washing using hand sanitizers which are available at All Neem Pharmacy stores. These are likely to help stop the spread of this virus.

Quarantines and travel restrictions now in place in many countries, including Kenya, are also intended to help break the chain of transmission.

What is the incubation period for the Coronavirus?

An incubation period is the time between catching an illness and showing symptoms of the illness. Current estimates suggest that symptoms of COVID-19 usually appear within around five days or less in most cases, but the range could be between one and 14 days.

Can the coronavirus live on fabric, carpet, and other soft surfaces? What about hard surfaces?

Currently, there’s no evidence that COVID-19, the new coronavirus, can be transmitted from soft surfaces like fabric or carpet to humans.

It’s possible that the virus could be on frequently-touched surfaces, such as a doorknob, although early information suggests viral particles would be likely to survive for just a few hours, according to the WHO. This also assumes that someone who is sick with the virus has touched a surface after sneezing or coughing into their hand or rubbing their eye. That’s why personal preventive steps like frequently washing hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and wiping down often-touched surfaces with disinfectants or a household cleaning spray, are a good idea.

Should I wear a face mask to protect against coronavirus?

Some health facilities require people to wear a mask under certain circumstances, such as if they have traveled from the city of Wuhan, China or surrounding Hubei Province, or have been in contact with people who did or with people who have confirmed coronavirus.

If you have respiratory symptoms like coughing or sneezing, experts recommend wearing a mask which are available at All Neem Pharmacy Stores and can be delivered across the country to protect others. This may help contain droplets containing any type of virus, including the flu, and protect close contacts (anyone within three to six feet of the infected person).

Is there a vaccine available for coronavirus?

No vaccine is available, although scientists are working on vaccines. In 2003, scientists tried to develop a vaccine to prevent SARS but the epidemic ended before the vaccine could enter clinical trials.

Can people who recover from the coronavirus still be carriers and therefore spread it?

People who get COVID-19 need to work with providers and public health authorities to determine when they are no longer contagious.

Reliable resources

• Harvard Health Publishing’s Coronavirus Resource Center

• WHO coronavirus website