Stay Safe and Protect Yourself from COVID-19, the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
Over the past few years, Thais have been hit hard by the PM 2.5 dust crisis, and now we also have to deal with the novel coronavirus, which began spreading from a seafood market in Wuhan, Hubei Province…
What is the coronavirus?
Over the past few years, Thais have been hit hard by the PM 2.5 dust crisis, and now we also have to deal with the novel coronavirus, which began spreading from a seafood market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. An early study suggested the virus came from snakes, but scientists later rejected that idea: its closest known relatives are found in bats, and its exact origin is still unknown. Most recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially gave it a new name, COVID-19, where CO stands for Corona, VI for Virus, D for Disease, and 19 for 2019, the year the virus first broke out.
The coronavirus is thought to have started spreading from animals, and it can pass from person to person in several ways. It spreads when you're close to someone who coughs or sneezes and droplets or mucus land on you, and it gets into the body easily through the nose, eyes and mouth. Even in this worrying situation, we still have to leave home to go to work or school, and some people still have trips planned. So how can we be sure whether or not we've come into contact with the virus on any given day? That's why hygiene is one of the top priorities for all of us. So how can we deal with this virus or protect ourselves from it? Let's take a look.
How to deal with or prevent COVID-19
1. The virus spreads through breath and bodily fluids such as mucus and saliva, so you should wear a face mask to protect yourself.
2. Coronaviruses are passed on among mammals and through meat such as pork and beef, so we should only eat fully cooked meat! Avoid undercooked food, such as raw fish, larb lueat (minced meat salad with raw blood), koi (raw meat salad) and all kinds of wild game!
3. Wash your hands or wipe them with alcohol every time before eating, after touching anything dirty, and after using the toilet.
4. Keep away from sick people who are coughing or sneezing.
5. Avoid crowded places and places with harmful pollution.
6. Don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth unless you have to.
7. Don't share things with other people, such as handkerchiefs, drinking glasses and so on.
8. Avoid traveling to areas at risk of the outbreak. If you've just come back from abroad or from a high-risk country, you should isolate yourself at home for at least 14 days to watch for symptoms.
9. If you have a fever or respiratory symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose or shortness of breath, wear a face mask and see a doctor right away!!!
Overall, the coronavirus situation is still worrying, but we have to get through this crisis together. Keep looking after yourself the right way, build up your immunity in body and mind, read the news with a critical eye, don't believe false rumors, and don't forget to encourage the people around you to look after their health. Doing just this much already gives you a certain level of protection against the virus. And if you have symptoms and are in a risk group, or have just come back from a country with an outbreak, you can call the Department of Disease Control hotline on 1422 for more information.
