What is a coronavirus? What makes it so dangerous? How can you protect your family? What to do if you test positive?

A coronavirus is part of a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, for example, pneumonia. Seven of them are known to infect humans. In the past few years, three have jumped from animals to humans. Therefore, they are zoonotic – it means they can be transmitted between humans and animals, for example, bird flu &, swine flu. MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ) which caused a flu outbreak in the Middle East was transmitted from dromedary camels to humans and was first identified in 2012.

COVID-19 is caused by a new strain of the coronavirus that appeared in December 2019 and was first identified in China patients. Scientists are unsure where it came from.

 

COvid-19 Tracker: South Africa

South Africa

Confirmed

2,916,179

+619 (24h)

Deaths

88,587

+25 (24h)

Recovered

2,804,676

96.18%

Active

22,916

0.79%

COvid-19 Tracker: Worldwide

Country	Cases	24h	Deaths	24h	%	Recovered	%	Active
USA	45,774,175	33,910	744,385	464	1.6%	35,352,343	77.2%	9,677,447
India	34,066,760	14,073	452,156	146	1.3%	33,412,138	98.1%	202,466
Brazil	21,638,726	11,250	603,199	472	2.8%	20,783,940	96%	251,587
UK	8,404,469	43,423	138,527	148	1.6%	6,879,735	81.9%	1,386,207
Russia	7,958,384	33,208	222,315	1,002	2.8%	6,981,907	87.7%	754,162
Turkey	7,630,163	28,537	67,437	212	0.9%	7,065,363	92.6%	497,363
France	7,085,274	4,899	117,260	15	1.7%	6,877,074	97.1%	90,940
Iran	5,773,419	7,515	123,876	181	2.1%	5,309,992	92%	339,551
Argentina	5,272,151	790	115,663	3	2.2%	5,138,645	97.5%	17,843
Spain	4,984,386	0	86,974	0	1.7%	4,825,794	96.8%	71,618
Colombia	4,980,233	1,544	126,830	34	2.5%	4,823,881	96.9%	29,522
Italy	4,715,464	2,983	131,517	14	2.8%	4,505,876	95.6%	78,071
Germany	4,386,414	8,515	95,444	28	2.2%	4,141,500	94.4%	149,470
Indonesia	4,234,011	997	142,933	44	3.4%	4,072,332	96.2%	18,746
Mexico	3,749,860	5,286	284,008	434	7.6%	3,108,714	82.9%	357,138
Poland	2,937,069	3,236	76,111	44	2.6%	2,674,093	91%	186,865
South Africa	2,916,179	619	88,587	25	3%	2,804,676	96.2%	22,916
Philippines	2,713,509	7,772	40,580	156	1.5%	2,587,881	95.4%	85,048
Ukraine	2,623,882	12,983	60,414	277	2.3%	2,322,456	88.5%	241,012
Malaysia	2,384,542	7,509	27,858	88	1.2%	2,261,289	94.8%	95,395
Peru	2,189,165	814	199,816	24	9.1%	-	0%	1,989,349
Netherlands	2,044,039	3,702	18,242	5	0.9%	1,960,877	95.9%	64,920
Iraq	2,033,737	1,077	22,738	25	1.1%	1,964,673	96.6%	46,326
Thailand	1,772,838	10,648	18,205	82	1%	1,647,255	92.9%	107,378
Japan	1,713,802	531	18,078	27	1.1%	1,687,306	98.5%	8,418
Czechia	1,707,756	1,781	30,539	5	1.8%	1,660,821	97.3%	16,396
Canada	1,678,516	1,643	28,482	14	1.7%	1,614,746	96.2%	35,288
Chile	1,669,236	1,689	37,597	3	2.3%	1,621,210	97.1%	10,429
Bangladesh	1,565,174	293	27,752	6	1.8%	1,527,333	97.6%	10,089
Romania	1,445,714	15,239	41,482	350	2.9%	1,231,401	85.2%	172,831
Israel	1,315,317	1,104	7,983	7	0.6%	1,287,513	97.9%	19,821
Belgium	1,279,869	3,648	25,747	15	2%	1,186,374	92.7%	67,748
Pakistan	1,263,664	893	28,252	24	2.2%	1,208,438	95.6%	26,974
Sweden	1,161,933	0	14,916	0	1.3%	1,129,024	97.2%	17,993
Portugal	1,079,341	612	18,088	10	1.7%	1,031,142	95.5%	30,111
Serbia	1,043,758	6,051	9,052	56	0.9%	908,806	87.1%	125,900
Morocco	941,863	417	14,537	4	1.5%	921,430	97.8%	5,896
Cuba	932,768	1,946	8,037	19	0.9%	915,893	98.2%	8,838
Kazakhstan	914,699	1,900	11,700	28	1.3%	856,930	93.7%	46,069
Vietnam	860,860	3,221	21,131	88	2.5%	790,504	91.8%	49,225
Switzerland	854,590	0	11,171	0	1.3%	807,592	94.5%	35,827
Jordan	840,117	573	10,865	6	1.3%	814,380	96.9%	14,872
Hungary	833,115	0	30,351	0	3.6%	790,646	94.9%	12,118
Nepal	804,652	136	11,278	1	1.4%	780,776	97%	12,598
Austria	773,540	2,397	11,161	10	1.4%	740,910	95.8%	21,469
UAE	738,487	115	2,118	0	0.3%	732,142	99.1%	4,227
Tunisia	710,773	100	25,085	3	3.5%	684,116	96.2%	1,572
Greece	692,197	2,301	15,348	31	2.2%	648,324	93.7%	28,525
Georgia	657,753	5,076	9,440	44	1.4%	609,987	92.7%	38,326
Lebanon	633,355	574	8,419	6	1.3%	607,760	96%	17,176
Guatemala	586,318	1,705	14,236	32	2.4%	558,054	95.2%	14,028
Belarus	570,006	2,068	4,386	17	0.8%	543,072	95.3%	22,548
Costa Rica	551,144	0	6,797	0	1.2%	470,056	85.3%	74,291
Saudi Arabia	547,890	45	8,760	2	1.6%	536,900	98%	2,230
Bulgaria	539,619	1,867	22,231	43	4.1%	457,356	84.8%	60,032
Sri Lanka	531,070	649	13,472	23	2.5%	492,305	92.7%	25,293
Ecuador	513,026	0	32,899	0	6.4%	443,880	86.5%	36,247
Bolivia	506,150	451	18,824	6	3.7%	467,916	92.4%	19,410
Azerbaijan	498,630	0	6,734	0	1.4%	476,964	95.7%	14,932
Myanmar	486,851	1,205	18,329	32	3.8%	439,146	90.2%	29,376
Panama	469,998	0	7,288	0	1.6%	460,280	97.9%	2,430
Paraguay	460,341	19	16,210	1	3.5%	443,981	96.4%	150
Slovakia	435,650	1,941	12,833	17	2.9%	402,200	92.3%	20,617
Croatia	426,613	1,947	8,877	15	2.1%	407,405	95.5%	10,331
Palestine	417,526	270	4,308	9	1%	401,234	96.1%	11,984
Ireland	413,734	2,180	5,306	0	1.3%	365,995	88.5%	42,433
Kuwait	412,297	39	2,456	1	0.6%	409,269	99.3%	572
Uruguay	390,915	153	6,067	1	1.6%	383,286	98%	1,562
Venezuela	390,045	0	4,693	0	1.2%	370,086	94.9%	15,266
Honduras	372,179	318	10,097	13	2.7%	113,676	30.5%	248,406
Dominican Republic	369,700	870	4,084	2	1.1%	357,939	96.8%	7,677
Denmark	368,060	753	2,680	1	0.7%	356,970	97%	8,410
Lithuania	366,481	2,700	5,406	20	1.5%	328,939	89.8%	32,136
Ethiopia	358,739	394	6,197	28	1.7%	328,521	91.6%	24,021
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	349,210	0	4,860	0	1.4%	277,701	79.5%	66,649
S. Korea	340,978	1,617	2,644	18	0.8%	308,187	90.4%	30,147
Mongolia	336,508	1,643	1,527	14	0.5%	300,074	89.2%	34,907
Egypt	317,585	874	17,926	42	5.6%	268,210	84.5%	31,449
Moldova	315,414	1,565	7,206	34	2.3%	295,604	93.7%	12,604
Slovenia	307,503	1,437	4,635	4	1.5%	290,701	94.5%	12,167
Oman	304,025	0	4,103	0	1.3%	299,362	98.5%	560
Armenia	280,294	1,863	5,754	41	2.1%	253,146	90.3%	21,394
Bahrain	276,030	55	1,391	0	0.5%	274,013	99.3%	626
Kenya	251,959	156	5,215	5	2.1%	245,178	97.3%	1,566
Bosnia	243,914	0	11,110	0	4.6%	192,218	78.8%	40,586
Qatar	237,867	69	608	0	0.3%	236,341	99.4%	918
Zambia	209,505	28	3,658	1	1.7%	205,631	98.2%	216
Nigeria	209,173	376	2,804	35	1.3%	197,084	94.2%	9,285
Algeria	205,199	93	5,870	3	2.9%	140,687	68.6%	58,642
Macedonia	196,762	386	6,922	21	3.5%	183,027	93%	6,813
Norway	196,142	334	884	0	0.5%	88,952	45.4%	106,306
Latvia	183,239	2,799	2,881	12	1.6%	156,697	85.5%	23,661
Botswana	181,856	0	2,386	0	1.3%	178,124	97.9%	1,346
Uzbekistan	180,566	404	1,285	2	0.7%	176,403	97.7%	2,878
Kyrgyzstan	179,775	94	2,632	3	1.5%	174,578	97.1%	2,565
Albania	177,536	428	2,810	3	1.6%	168,437	94.9%	6,289
Estonia	171,395	1,238	1,422	7	0.8%	153,726	89.7%	16,247
Afghanistan	155,739	51	7,238	0	4.6%	126,851	81.5%	21,650
Mozambique	151,097	17	1,925	0	1.3%	148,099	98%	1,073
Finland	149,897	0	1,116	0	0.7%	46,000	30.7%	102,781
Singapore	145,120	3,348	224	9	0.2%	118,211	81.5%	26,685
Australia	141,055	2,334	1,516	9	1.1%	110,092	78%	29,447
Montenegro	137,401	355	2,020	2	1.5%	130,562	95%	4,819
Zimbabwe	132,333	48	4,657	2	3.5%	126,213	95.4%	1,463
Ghana	129,258	890	1,165	7	0.9%	125,601	97.2%	2,492
Namibia	128,239	0	3,538	0	2.8%	123,820	96.6%	881
Uganda	125,094	45	3,182	2	2.5%	96,367	77%	25,545
Cyprus	120,541	126	562	2	0.5%	90,755	75.3%	29,224
Cambodia	116,407	267	2,634	24	2.3%	110,465	94.9%	3,308
El Salvador	110,188	0	3,460	13	3.1%	92,173	83.7%	14,555
Rwanda	99,128	61	1,313	0	1.3%	45,506	45.9%	52,309
Cameroon	98,402	0	1,550	0	1.6%	80,433	81.7%	16,419
China	96,502	14	4,636	0	4.8%	91,345	94.7%	521
Jamaica	87,232	246	2,103	31	2.4%	55,264	63.4%	29,865
Maldives	86,088	111	237	0	0.3%	84,587	98.3%	1,264
Luxembourg	79,720	0	839	0	1.1%	77,447	97.1%	1,434
Senegal	73,865	6	1,871	0	2.5%	71,970	97.4%	24
Angola	62,789	183	1,662	2	2.6%	50,617	80.6%	10,510
Malawi	61,712	3	2,292	0	3.7%	56,768	92%	2,652
Côte d'Ivoire	60,982	0	674	0	1.1%	59,310	97.3%	998
DRC	57,269	0	1,089	0	1.9%	50,930	88.9%	5,250
Guadeloupe	54,152	0	731	0	1.3%	2,250	4.2%	51,171
Réunion	54,024	0	370	0	0.7%	53,520	99.1%	134
Trinidad and Tobago	53,887	198	1,593	9	3%	47,985	89%	4,309
Fiji	51,701	0	663	0	1.3%	48,221	93.3%	2,817
Swaziland	46,361	2	1,233	0	2.7%	44,874	96.8%	254
Suriname	46,313	181	1,014	7	2.2%	27,066	58.4%	18,233
French Guiana	43,376	0	295	0	0.7%	9,995	23%	33,086
Madagascar	42,898	0	958	0	2.2%	41,322	96.3%	618
Martinique	42,167	0	638	0	1.5%	104	0.2%	41,425
French Polynesia	40,178	0	633	0	1.6%	33,500	83.4%	6,045
Sudan	39,550	59	3,038	4	7.7%	32,872	83.1%	3,640
Syrian Arab Republic	38,705	340	2,391	9	6.2%	24,943	64.4%	11,371
Cabo Verde	38,035	29	347	0	0.9%	37,246	97.9%	442
Malta	37,445	8	459	0	1.2%	36,311	97%	675
Mauritania	36,645	54	788	1	2.2%	35,414	96.6%	443
Guyana	34,362	122	866	4	2.5%	29,719	86.5%	3,777
Gabon	33,442	0	213	0	0.6%	27,879	83.4%	5,350
Lao People's Democratic Republic	31,736	548	38	2	0.1%	6,558	20.7%	25,140
Guinea	30,572	0	385	0	1.3%	29,233	95.6%	954
Tanzania	26,034	0	724	0	2.8%	-	0%	25,310
Togo	25,865	0	238	0	0.9%	25,064	96.9%	563
Benin	24,560	0	161	0	0.7%	23,971	97.6%	428
Papua New Guinea	24,041	0	266	0	1.1%	19,840	82.5%	3,935
Belize	23,990	0	461	0	1.9%	20,724	86.4%	2,805
Haiti	22,933	106	657	8	2.9%	20,043	87.4%	2,233
Seychelles	21,833	0	119	0	0.5%	21,430	98.2%	284
Bahamas	21,580	0	590	0	2.7%	19,683	91.2%	1,307
Lesotho	21,524	0	655	0	3%	11,983	55.7%	8,886
Somalia	21,269	0	1,180	0	5.5%	9,927	46.7%	10,162
Mayotte	20,439	0	181	0	0.9%	2,964	14.5%	17,294
Timor-Leste	19,707	4	119	0	0.6%	19,490	98.9%	98
Burundi	19,555	42	38	0	0.2%	773	4%	18,744
Tajikistan	17,086	2	124	0	0.7%	16,960	99.3%	2
Curaçao	16,921	22	171	0	1%	16,465	97.3%	285
Mauritius	16,621	0	129	0	0.8%	1,854	11.2%	14,638
Taiwan	16,336	11	846	0	5.2%	15,343	93.9%	147
Nicaragua	15,737	0	206	0	1.3%	4,225	26.8%	11,306
Aruba	15,715	13	170	0	1.1%	15,382	97.9%	163
Mali	15,603	26	557	2	3.6%	14,455	92.6%	591
Congo	15,514	0	222	0	1.4%	12,421	80.1%	2,871
Andorra	15,338	0	130	0	0.8%	15,139	98.7%	69
Burkina Faso	14,686	29	203	0	1.4%	14,119	96.1%	364
Djibouti	13,383	6	179	0	1.3%	13,021	97.3%	183
Equatorial Guinea	12,840	0	156	0	1.2%	12,263	95.5%	421
Barbados	12,773	346	114	5	0.9%	8,986	70.4%	3,673
Iceland	12,455	0	33	0	0.3%	11,923	95.7%	499
Hong Kong	12,292	6	213	0	1.7%	11,988	97.5%	91
Saint Lucia	12,206	77	236	4	1.9%	11,393	93.3%	577
South Sudan	12,184	0	130	0	1.1%	11,726	96.2%	328
Channel Islands	12,174	0	98	0	0.8%	11,656	95.7%	420
Central African Republic	11,469	0	100	0	0.9%	6,859	59.8%	4,510
Brunei	10,356	105	68	0	0.7%	7,850	75.8%	2,438
Gambia	9,946	0	339	0	3.4%	9,600	96.5%	7
New Caledonia	9,933	72	236	5	2.4%	55	0.6%	9,642
Yemen	9,512	17	1,802	4	18.9%	6,028	63.4%	1,682
Isle of Man	8,498	68	54	0	0.6%	7,681	90.4%	763
Eritrea	6,773	6	44	0	0.6%	6,676	98.6%	53
Sierra Leone	6,396	0	121	0	1.9%	4,393	68.7%	1,882
Niger	6,160	17	204	0	3.3%	5,854	95%	102
Guinea-Bissau	6,129	0	141	0	2.3%	5,392	88%	596
Liberia	5,803	0	286	0	4.9%	5,458	94.1%	59
Gibraltar	5,751	11	98	0	1.7%	5,489	95.4%	164
Grenada	5,721	17	192	1	3.4%	5,364	93.8%	165
Bermuda	5,548	0	95	0	1.7%	4,979	89.7%	474
San Marino	5,470	0	91	0	1.7%	5,343	97.7%	36
Chad	5,067	0	174	0	3.4%	4,874	96.2%	19
New Zealand	4,939	42	28	0	0.6%	4,246	86%	665
Sint Maarten	4,444	5	71	0	1.6%	4,309	97%	64
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	4,418	0	47	0	1.1%	2,840	64.3%	1,531
Comoros	4,184	0	147	0	3.5%	4,016	96%	21
Dominica	4,153	0	28	0	0.7%	3,841	92.5%	284
Antigua and Barbuda	3,888	30	95	2	2.4%	3,069	78.9%	724
Saint Martin	3,819	0	55	0	1.4%	1,399	36.6%	2,365
Sao Tome and Principe	3,675	5	56	0	1.5%	3,105	84.5%	514
Liechtenstein	3,487	9	60	0	1.7%	3,390	97.2%	37
Monaco	3,358	1	33	0	1%	3,284	97.8%	41
Turks and Caicos Islands	2,924	2	23	0	0.8%	2,853	97.6%	48
British Virgin Islands	2,725	0	37	0	1.4%	2,649	97.2%	39
Bhutan	2,617	0	3	0	0.1%	2,605	99.5%	9
Saint Kitts and Nevis	2,546	21	21	0	0.8%	1,753	68.9%	772
Caribbean Netherlands	2,325	13	19	0	0.8%	2,128	91.5%	178
St. Barth	1,588	0	6	0	0.4%	462	29.1%	1,120
Faroe Islands	1,332	0	2	0	0.2%	1,238	92.9%	92
Cayman Islands	1,011	0	2	0	0.2%	827	81.8%	182
Diamond Princess	712	0	13	0	1.8%	699	98.2%	0
Anguilla	668	0	1	0	0.1%	587	87.9%	80
Greenland	654	0	0	0	0%	618	94.5%	36
Wallis and Futuna	445	0	7	0	1.6%	438	98.4%	0
Macao	77	0	0	0	0%	66	85.7%	11
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	68	0	0	0	0%	67	98.5%	1
Montserrat	41	0	1	0	2.4%	31	75.6%	9
Saint Pierre Miquelon	32	0	0	0	0%	32	100%	0
Holy See (Vatican City State)	27	0	0	0	0%	27	100%	0
Solomon Islands	20	0	0	0	0%	20	100%	0
Western Sahara	10	0	1	0	10%	8	80%	1
MS Zaandam	9	0	2	0	22.2%	7	77.8%	0
Palau	8	0	0	0	0%	5	62.5%	3
Marshall Islands	4	0	0	0	0%	4	100%	0
Vanuatu	4	0	1	0	25%	3	75%	0
Samoa	3	0	0	0	0%	3	100%	0
Saint Helena	2	0	0	0	0%	2	100%	0
Micronesia	1	0	0	0	0%	1	100%	0

How does it spread?

In short:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Touching public surfaces (counters, doors, elevator buttons, handles, communal pens, public transport, etc.)
• Person-to-person contact (shaking hands, close contact, talking, etc.)

Image: Pixabay

It’s likely to be transmitted in droplets from coughing or sneezes from infected persons. An infected person can also share the virus by talking and breathing since it also produces tiny droplets in the air. Some say microscopic droplets from a sneeze can hang in the air for 3 hours infecting people. Most respiratory droplets fall to the ground within a few feet of the infected person.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Princeton, and the University of California, Los Angeles exposed various materials to the lab’s virus. They found that it remained virulent on surfaces for a lengthy period: from up to 24 hours on cardboard to up to two or three days on plastic and stainless steel.

A study in Germany has found that people can transmit the virus when they don’t even know they have it yet or have only a few symptoms.

A small study out of China suggests that the new coronavirus can persist in the body for at least two weeks after symptoms of the disease clear up.

What makes the coronavirus so dangerous?

How does it precisely affect the lungs? What kind of damage does it cause?

LUNGS – it is here where the disease begins and ends for most people. Coronaviruses cause respiratory infections.

Stage one:

The coronavirus targets human lungs cells and invades them quickly when the virus enters the body through the mouth or nose (or even mucous membrane of the eyes).

There are 2 types of human lung cells – one cell type produces mucus to protect lung tissue, and the other are hair-like buttons called cilia, which removes pollen, viruses or objects from the lungs in a wave-like motion.

If the cilia aren’t working, the lungs’ routine cleaning can occur, and the person’s lungs fill up with debris and fluids. This causes difficulty with breathing and shortness of breath.

Stage two:

When your body senses an invader like the coronavirus, your immune system responds by sending an army of immune cells to the infected area. The immune cells work to clear the area and repair the lung tissue.

In normal lungs, your immune system’s reaction is highly regulated and confined to the affected area, killing only invaders. However, with corona, the immune system can go haywire and start killing anything in their way – healthy cells. The immune response can cause more bad than good because more debris and fluids are clogging up the lungs. The person presents with pneumonia in both lungs. Pneumonia is lung inflammation caused by a bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid.

Stage three:

More lung damage now causes respiratory failure. Some patients die, and some end up with permanent lung damage. Lesions are caused by the coronavirus that gives the lungs a honeycomb appearance.   Chest scans can reveal COVID-19’s distinctive pattern of pneumonia.

It causes the immune system to dump cytokines into the lungs without any regulation.  Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and associate research scientist at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, describes it as attacking an invader with a missile launcher instead of just a gun.  It weakens blood vessels in the lungs and causes fluid to seep through to the air sacs. You basically drown because of the fluid in your lungs – normal respiration cannot take place with lungs full of fluids.

The immune response implications extend outside the lungs with elevated liver enzymes, a lower white blood cell and platelet count, and low blood pressure. The reaction spills over to the rest of your body because multiple organs now are affected by the cytokine response—combined with a diminished capacity to pump oxygen to the rest of the body—it can result in multi-organ failure and death.

Source:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/here-is-what-coronavirus-does-to-the-body/

What are the symptoms of coronavirus infection?

The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:

Initially, a sore throat that lasts three to four days 

FEVER   –    COUGH    –    DIFFICULTY BREATHING    –    SHORTNESS OF BREATH

• Pneumonia in both lungs

 

Please note: THE NORMAL Flu vaccine will not protect you against corona

The flu vaccine helps you not get seasonal flu, which might weaken your lungs and put you at greater risk if you should contract a coronavirus.

Is there a vaccine available?

Vaccines are available since 2021. There are, however, too few to vaccinate everyone. South Africa has started a vaccination programme. It started with the vaccination of all healthcare workers. Currently, specific age groups are targeted and vaccinated, along with people in the education sector and police.  It might be another year before it will be available to all.

How can best protect my family and me against it?

• HONOR THE LOCKDOWN – ADHERE TO THE ALL THE RULES
• WASH YOUR HANDS/ WASH YOUR HANDS/ WASH YOUR HANDS/ WASH YOUR HANDS!

ONE: Hand cleaning is of utmost importance all day long: when you have done shopping; been to a bathroom; when you enter your home; when you prepare food; before you eat or drink; when you start or leave your workplace; when you use an ATM or credit card machine.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if you can’t get to a sink. You do not need fancy disinfectants to wash your hands – good old-fashioned soap and water do the trick.

NOTE: A hand sanitiser must contain at least 60 -70 % alcohol. If you run out of alcohol hand sanitisers, look for other products with high alcohol content, for example, mouth wash (94%), Stroh rum (60% to 80%).  METHYLATED SPIRITS also kills many germs and is a useful sanitiser for toilet seats and other fittings.

TWO: If you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and throw it away afterwards. We don’t know how long the coronavirus survives on clothes or your hands – refrain from coughing in the elbow of your shirt or into your hands without a tissue.

THREE: Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if your hands aren’t clean. It isn’t easy because we touch our faces 100’s of times per day. If it will help you not to touch your face, wear a mask. It can be a washable homemade mask made of cotton. It will not protect you against the coronavirus in the air – only N95 masks can do that. If you are already sick with coughing and sneezing – also wear a mask so that you limit the spread of your germs to other people.

FOUR: Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick. If you know someone is sick – keep your distance from them.

FIVE: Clean surfaces you often touch:  Your smartphone is like a third hand. Wipe it down. Door handles, taps, TV remotes, telephones,  laptops, kettles, fridge & cupboard door handles, steering wheel & gear stick,  and the door handle of your car. If there are many corona cases in your area – think of what could become infected and needs a wipe with an alcohol, JIK or Biocide solution daily. Wipe right: Use ammonia or alcohol-based products. Skip the baby wipes.

Ultraviolet light can be a potent disinfectant, and we get a lot of UVA light from the sun. Direct sunlight can help rapidly diminish the infectivity of viruses on surfaces.

SIX: Stay home from work, school and public areas if you’re sick. Period.

If you are still healthy:

• Avoid crowds anywhere.
• Don’t visit malls or shops during peak hours.
• If you have to go to the shops, send only one person only – now is not the time for family shopping excursions.
• Disinfect your hands when you enter and leave the store.
• Touch as few things as possible.
• If you stand in a queue to pay – make sure there is 1.5 -2 m between you and the next person. Respect the request for social distancing.

SEVEN: Stock up on home supplies, medicine and resources (at least a 30-day supply) should a mass quarantine be enforced. Limit your trips to shopping malls. 

EIGHT: Boost your immune system. It is a good idea to drink a Vitamin C (sustained-release) product every day of your life. Echinaforce® is a clinically proven, herbal product that helps prevent and treat colds, flu, and upper respiratory tract infections. It also helps prevent the complications of colds and flu.  Other products that enhance a strong immune system are colloidal silver, colostrum, probiotics.

Reduce or eliminate your intake of sugar. Sugar paralyze your immune system for hours after the information. A robust immune system can help you to have mild flu, instead of becoming critically ill.

If you have a pre-existing lung condition (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, lung cancer) or are on immuno-suppressants, now is a great time to talk to your doctor or specialist about what they would like you to do if you get sick.

NINE: If you begin to have a high fever, shortness of breath or any other more serious symptom, the best thing to do is to call 0800 029 999 in South Africa to let them know and inquire about next steps.

Coronavirus starts deep in the lungs, and the most common signs are fever and dry cough, followed by fatigue and shortness of breath.

If you have any of these symptoms, please make every effort to remain at home.

Don’t go to the office; don’t drive the kids to school; don’t go to the store; don’t ride public transportation. If children exhibit any illness, they too should remain home from school.

Advice for how to handle it if you actually test positive:

You basically want to prepare as though you know you’re going to get a nasty respiratory bug, like bronchitis or pneumonia. You have the foresight to know it might come your way!

You DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL unless you are having trouble breathing or your fever is very high (over 39°C) and is not brought down by taking paracetamol. 90% of healthy adult cases thus far have been managed at home with essential rest/hydration/over-the-counter medications. For symptom management and a fever over 38°c, take Paracetamol, not Ibuprofen.

NOTE: Antibiotics work only on bacteria. They do not work against viruses. The coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment.

HELPLINE:

You are welcome to chat with an online counsellor for more advice: LIVE CHAT

NATIONAL HELPLINE SOUTH AFRICA:

0800 029 999

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