Information regarding the coronavirus can be found everywhere these days. It is easily the most popular news of 2020. As a result, there is also a lot of misinformation that is being circulated by parties with vested interests.

According to the World Health Organization, the United Nations body charged with dealing with pandemic diseases such as coronavirus, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

It is possible to recover from coronavirus, so if you feel like you are experiencing any of the symptoms, please visit your doctor so that you can get a full checkup done. The WHO also recommends you take certain steps to minimize the probability of infection, such as:

  1. 1. Frequent washing of hands- Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers eliminates the virus if it is on your hands.
  2. 2. Practice Respiratory hygiene- When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard the tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing prevents the spread of germs and viruses. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, you may contaminate objects or people that you touch, which is why it’s necessary to clean your hands afterwards.
  3. 3. Maintain social distancing- Maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing or have a fever.
  4. 4. Avoid touching hands, nose or mouth- Your hands touch many surfaces which can be contaminated with the virus. If you touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself.
  5. 5. Avoid consumption of raw or undercooked animal products- Handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.

The recommendations above are as per WHO Guidelines