How to Prevent Coronavirus Infection in 5 Steps

Coronavirus is one of the deadliest viruses that has spread around the world. In order not to be exposed to this infectious disease that is currently endemic, there are several ways you can do to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus.

Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold (which is also caused by other viruses, predominantly rhinoviruses), while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. In cows and pigs, they cause diarrhea, while in mice they cause hepatitis and encephalomyelitis.

When infected with the Coronavirus, a person will experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, and runny nose. However, a few days later, people who have a coronavirus infection can experience shortness of breath due to infection of the lungs (pneumonia).

These are how to prevent Corona virus infection.

1. Wash Your Hands Properly 

Washing your hands is one of the best ways to keep you from getting infected. Make sure that all parts of your hands are thoroughly washed, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between fingers, and nails. After that, dry your hands using a tissue, clean towel, or hand dryer. Wash your hands regularly, especially before and after eating, after using the toilet, after touching animals, taking out the trash, and after coughing or sneezing. Washing hands is also important before breastfeeding a baby or expressing breastmilk.

When not wearing a mask, the CDC, the WHO, and the NHS recommend covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and recommends using the inside of the elbow if no tissue is available. Proper hand hygiene after any cough or sneeze is encouraged. The WHO also recommends that individuals wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty, before eating and after blowing one’s nose.

The CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, but only when soap and water are not readily available. For areas where commercial hand sanitizers are not readily available, the WHO provides two formulations for local production. In these formulations, the antimicrobial activity arises from ethanol or isopropanol. Hydrogen peroxide is used to help eliminate bacterial spores in the alcohol; it is “not an active substance for hand antisepsis”. Glycerol is added as a humectant.

2. Use a Mask 

Many use cloth masks to prevent Coronavirus infection, even though these masks are not necessarily effective. In general, there are two types of masks that you can use to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus, namely surgical masks and N95 masks. Surgical masks or surgical masks are disposable masks that are commonly used. These masks are easy to find, affordable, and comfortable to wear, so many people use these masks during their daily activities. Different types of face masks have been recommended throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including:

• Cloth face masks
• Medical or surgical masks
• Face-sealing filtering facepiece masks with respirator certifications such as N95 and N99 respirators, and FFP respirators
• Uncertified face-sealing dust masks
• Other respirators, including elastomeric respirators, some of which may also be considered filtering facepieces.
• Transparent face shields, medical goggles, and other types of personal protective equipment (PPE) are sometimes used in conjunction with face masks.

The WHO and the US CDC recommend individuals wear non-medical face coverings in public settings where there is an increased risk of transmission and where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. This recommendation is meant to reduce the spread of the disease by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals and is complementary to established preventive measures such as social distancing. Face coverings limit the volume and travel distance of expiratory droplets dispersed when talking, breathing, and coughing.

3. Implement physical distancing and independent isolation

Physical restriction or physical distancing is one important step to break the chain of spreading the Corona virus. This can be done by not traveling out of the house, except for urgent or emergency purposes, such as shopping for groceries or taking medication when sick.

Social distancing, or physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. It involves keeping a distance of six feet or two meters from others and avoiding gathering together in large groups.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and related measures were emphasized by several governments as alternatives to an enforced quarantine of heavily affected areas. According to UNESCO monitoring, more than a hundred countries have implemented nationwide school closures in response to COVID-19, impacting over half the world’s student population.

4. Healthy Lifestyle

A strong immune system can prevent the appearance of various diseases. To maintain and increase endurance, you are advised to eat healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruits, and protein foods, such as eggs, fish and lean meats.

If you are bored with self-cooked food, you can buy ready-to-eat food or food at a restaurant through a delivery service, but make sure the food is clean and healthy. If necessary, you also need to increase your consumption of supplements as recommended by your doctor.

Apart from personal hygiene, keeping the house clean is also very important to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because the Coronavirus is proven to be able to survive for hours and even days on the surface of an object.

5. COVID-19 Vaccine

A COVID‑19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against COVID-19. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, work to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus diseases SARS and MERS had established knowledge about the structure and function of coronaviruses, which accelerated development during early 2020 of varied technology platforms for a COVID‑19 vaccine. By mid-December 2020, 57 vaccine candidates were in clinical research, including 40 in Phase I–II trials and 17 in Phase II–III trials. In Phase III trials, several COVID-19 vaccines demonstrated efficacy as high as 95% in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.

National regulatory authorities have approved six vaccines for public use: two RNA vaccines (tozinameran from Pfizer–BioNTech and mRNA-1273 from Moderna), two conventional inactivated vaccines (BBIBP-CorV from Sinopharm and CoronaVac from Sinovac), and two viral vector vaccines (Gam-COVID-Vac from the Gamaleya Research Institute and AZD1222 from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca).

Many countries have implemented phased distribution plans that prioritize those at highest risk of complications, such as the elderly, and those at high risk of exposure and transmission, such as healthcare workers. So, that’s how to prevent Coronavirus infection. Make sure you do it properly to keep yourself and the loved ones safe.