COVID-19: How to best avoid it

The rapid spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus all over the world has left all of us extra careful when going out or interacting with other people. After all, the virus has already claimed the lives of over 100 people.

READ: What is the 2019 novel coronavirus?

Mariz Umali on Balitanghali Wednesday gave a rich report on how best to avoid the deadly virus.

Where can you get this disease?

Every time someone coughs or sneezes, thousands of saliva and mucus droplets are released from the mouth or the nose.

This means that over 3,000 to 100,000 droplets, all possibly containing a virus, are released, according to a study. These droplets can even fly away with the speed of 80 to 160 kilometers per hour.

Dr. Chito Avelino, the director of the Department of Health (DOH)'s epidemiology bureau, said, "Bahing or sneezing is a defense mechanism ng katawan para mailabas niya ang offending organism na maaaring makasama sa katawan ng tao. Ito ay maaaring mikrobyo o virus."

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These droplets, upon being released in the air, can be swallowed or inhaled by other people and can even enter the eyes or stick to a person's skin or items.

Even if you won't be near someone who coughed or sneezed, the virus can still get to you since Dr. Avelino said that viruses can survive from 15 minutes to seven days.

This is how common colds or even the novel coronavirus gets transmitted from one person to another.

What not to do

1. Don't use your hands to cover your mouth and noses when sneezing. According to Dr. Avelino, hands can be a medium in spreading a virus — imagine sneezing into it and then shaking another person's hands. Or sneezing into it and then touching an elevator button, which is then touched by another.

The Department of Health highly suggests using the inside of our elbows, the sleeves or the collars of our shirts.

2. Maybe refrain from besos in the meantime. The DOH has discouraged people from shaking hands or kissing each other on the cheek, a common practice of greeting, since it can further spread the virus.

3. Wash your hands! Before and after you eat, after using the toilet, when it's visibly dirty, after you gave your pets some loving, and so it goes. Too many people hogging the sink? Feel free to use alcohol, too.

4. Wear face masks.  According to DOH's epidemiology bureau, the proper way to use the face mask is to wear it with the blue side on the outside. Properly push down the wire around your nose so no space is created. Masks should be changed every eight hours.

The department also said that you should never touch the front of the mask so your hands don't get the microbes on it. Immediately throw the mask after use.

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