Coronavirus Prevention Tips


Forget the garlic and hot bath. Real advice for staying healthy and preventing the spread of the coronavirus



Turn on the TV, pick up any newspaper or go online, and you’ll find lots of information – and misinformation -- about the coronavirus, from the latest infection rates across the D.C. metro area to so-called prevention tips. One interesting, but false claim: eating garlic prevents the virus. Not true! Other false claims that are spreading across the internet: taking a hot bath and using hand dryers will kill the virus.

At American Community Management, we are concerned about your health as well as the health of your family and your community. To help you separate fact from fiction, we have pulled together some top tips and resources from experts on how to keep healthy and avoid spreading the virus if you or a family member become sick.

Basic Protective Measures

Stay aware of the latest information on the virus via the WHO website (World Health Organization) and local public health authorities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Here are a few basic tips:

  • Maintain social distancing. Maintain at least 3 feet distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
  • Follow good respiratory hygiene. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of the used tissue immediately.


Visit the World Health Organization for a more complete list of basic protective measures.


Preventive Steps to Avoid Further Spread of Virus

The CDC has published guidelines to help prevent the virus from spreading among people in their homes and in other residential communities. These include:

  • Stay home except to get medical care. People who are mildly ill with the virus can isolate at home during their illness. You should restrict activities outside of your home and avoid public transportation.
  • Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home. Stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home if possible. Also, restrict contact with pets and other animals until more information is known about the virus and if pets can become sick with it.
  • Wear a facemask. Wear a facemask when you are around other people in your home or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office.
  • Avoid sharing personal household items. Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, utensils, towels or bedding with other people or pets in your home.

Precautions for Household Members and Caregivers

  • Make sure shared spaces in the home has good airflow, such as by an air conditioner or an open window.
  • Wear a disposable facemask and gloves when you touch or have contact with the patient’s body fluids; dispose of facemasks and gloves after using them. Do not reuse it.
  • Wash laundry thoroughly.

Visit the CDC’s website for more detailed guidance on preventing the spread of the virus in homes and residential communities.


Other resources:
 


https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

Contributor: Pamela Russell & Aletha Peters