You may be wondering how best to protect yourself from COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus) as you go about your daily life.
Here are some tips to help minimize your risk of catching COVID-19, and other viruses too.
Hint: it’s a great time to be a good community citizen, and think not only about protecting ourselves but also protecting each other.
Stay at home if you are sick and stay away from others who are ill
This can be a difficult one. I have to get to work. Your child has a karate tournament. You promised Grandma that you’d visit.
But staying at home when you feel unwell is a very important way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses.
If you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms, please make arrangements to stay home.
“Think about the potential effects of passing something along to others, whether it’s COVID-19 virus or another one,” said Dr. Samira Mubareka, infectious diseases doctor and microbiologist. “It’s not worth the risk.”
So, send your regrets, have a FaceTime chat, defer your visit, or speak with your employer.
“This virus and other respiratory viruses are spread by contact and droplets,” Dr. Mubareka said.
Contact means you get the virus by touching an infected individual or their secretions, or a contaminated surface, then touching your own eyes, nose or mouth. Droplet means the secretions of an infected person enter your eyes, nose or throat — like through a sneeze or cough.
“Minimizing our contact with others who are unwell can help reduce our chance of catching it.
“And keeping to ourselves when we are sick helps minimize what’s going around in the community.”
Watch: Dr. Mubareka on protecting yourself and your family from COVID-19
Clean your hands
We’ve heard this reminder a lot lately, and for good reason.
Our hands are most viruses’ mode of transportation…the trucks on the highway, so to speak.
“The open doors for a virus are your eyes, nose and mouth,” said Dr. Mubareka. “And the virus gets a ride to those doors on our hands.”
Inside our nose, mouth and eyes are receptor cells. The virus latches on to these cells and starts replicating — dividing and multiplying and finding its way into your respiratory tract.
Washing our hands works in two ways: by physically washing away the virus that might be on our hands and also, if using soap, by altering the virus’s membrane so it can’t latch on to the waiting receptor cells.
“I like to imagine I’ve just been painting — think of how hard it is to get all that paint off your hands. That’s how we should be washing our hands each time,” Dr. Mubareka said.
If you do not have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and get into all your hands nooks and under the fingernails.
And if you can’t wash your hands or use hand sanitizer, see #3.
Keep your hands away from your face
Boy, this is hard. I’ve been trying this the past few weeks and it’s an uphill battle. (I’m getting a wee bit better. Nail biting has successfully stopped.)
As mentioned above, the virus needs help getting to your receptor cells. Cutting off that highway can help.
“We touch our faces multiple times an hour,” Dr. Mubareka said. “If your hands are contaminated, it’s important to keep them away from your face to stop that entry. Try your best to stop.”
Use a tissue if you have to touch your face (then put that tissue in the garbage). Do the sleeve sneeze if you have to sneeze. And keep eye drops nearby to moisten your eyes if you are an eye rubber.
(You could also try what we are trying in my household: shouting a loud “FACE!” when we see someone touching their face. Results TBD.)
Get your flu shot
This is not because the flu shot protects against COVID-19.
“Getting the flu shot – and it’s not too late – helps reduce the burden and spread of other respiratory illnesses in the community,” Dr. Mubareka said. “Again, think of your neighbours, friends and family — how can we all work to reduce the spread of illness?”
Practice social distancing
The Government of Canada has asked Canadians to practice “social distancing”. By social distancing, we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. This means avoiding crowds and big gatherings, reducing your number of close contacts, and keeping a physical distance of 2 metres from others when possible.
Talk about these important steps
Have a clear and honest conversation with your family and friends about all of the above. While it can be tough to get kids to wash their hands and keep their hands away from their face, try to model good behaviour.
“Talk about how we can all work together to minimize the spread of illness,” Dr. Mubareka said. “Tell your friends it’s OK to cancel plans if they feel unwell. Remind each other about hand-washing. Speak up for flu vaccination.”
This post was updated March 16 to reflect the Government of Canada’s call for communities to practice social distancing.
