What you can do to stop the spread of Covid-19

The novel Coronavirus, or Covid-19 This virus began in Wuhan China and, in the last few months has transformed into a global pandemic and has spread around the world.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know what the coronavirus is and the mayhem that it has been causing.  From food storage to toilet paper all of the shelves are becoming more and more bare, but what people aren’t doing is what could be the most damaging to public health.  Here are just a few things that you can do today, right now even, to do your part in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

Soaps and Disinfectants Instead of stocking up on toilet paper, you can buy a good amount of soap and disinfectants. I’m not saying that you need to go out and hoard all the soap, but it is recommended that you have enough for about a month.  This can be regular hand soap to a bar of soap.  Health experts all agree that the most effective way to avoid contracting Covid-19 is by frequently washing your hands.  Disinfectant wipes can also help by cleaning germs off surfaces that the virus can survive on.  For these wipes bleach and ethanol-based cleaning products are the best option to use.

Stock up on Food and Supplies It is recommended that you do stock up on supplies, but you don’t need to overdo it.  About 2 weeks' worth of food and supplies is a good amount for situations like this.  Dr. Manisha Juthani, a Yale Medicine infectious disease specialist has said, "Having supplies that can help your household run normally for a few weeks is sufficient. When looking for supplies the best place to start is foods that are either frozen or canned as these foods usually have a longer shelf life and can be preserved longer.

Try Social Distancing One of the biggest things you can do to stop the spread is to stay away from public spaces as much as possible.  It is recommended that you avoid big groups whether you are healthy or not. Many states have come out and said that you should not be in groups of 50 or more, but if you are not feeling well you should avoid leaving your home altogether.

Facemasks only for the sick Lastly, many people are wearing facemasks and there is a huge shortage of them right now. These masks have no use if you are healthy.  However, if you are sick then that is when you should use these masks.  As with everything else, it is recommended that if you buy these masks you shouldn’t buy the whole stock, but only as many as you think you will need for a few weeks.  These masks are needed in the medical field and if there is a shortage it gets harder and harder for people who need them to get them.

Don't Panic As the coronavirus runs it course and we begin to see how we, as a country, can handle it, one of the most important pieces of advice was said by Dr. Rebecca Kats, the director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University.  She said, "the most important recommendation is don’t panic, but prepare".  It will be a struggle moving forward, but as a country, and as humans, we are going to make it through this, and we will recover just like we always do.