Fear is never a great companion. But it’s even worse now, that we need all our strength; all our stamina; all our clarity. And fear grows bigger as misinformation spreads. As everyone comes forth with an opinion of their own. Conspiracy theories are all over the web, one more inspired than the next. Where can one get the facts amidst this chaos? Are there any facts to get?

Correct information gives us the power to fight back. 

Of course, there are. Facts, figures, calm and steady voices. Science and research. These are our friends. Correct information gives us the power to fight back. To resist. To protect ourselves and others. It has been characterized as an unknown enemy, this thing we are fighting with, but there are already things we know about COVID-19. Scientists are figuring this virus out, step-by-step. All we have to do, is put our trust in them, follow their lead and spread the correct information all around. 

The first thing to keep in our minds is that sunny and hot weather might be delightful, but it cannot stop COVID-19. The only way to protect ourselves from the virus is to wash our hands and avoid touching our eyes, nose and mouth. No amount of sunlight can prevent the coronavirus disease. The same is true for cold weather and snow. They cannot kill this virus either. 

The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C

Neither can a hand dryer. The only way is, again, to thoroughly clean your hands. Hot baths, also, are a great indoor activity and an awesome way to relax, provided that the water is not so hot as to burn you, but they cannot stop the coronavirus disease. Keep enjoying them, by all means, but be fully aware that they are not a measure of protection. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower, or even the weather. 

If you want to keep your nose clean and protected, just keep your hands away from it. 

Other means that are completely ineffective in dealing with COVID-19, are ultraviolet light, alcohol or chlorine, garlic, and rinsing your nose with saline. There is this notion going around, that UV lamps can be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin. Please, do not do that, as UV radiation can cause skin irritation, and it will not help you against the virus. Neither will spraying alcohol or chlorine on your skin. These can be used to disinfect surfaces, under appropriate recommendations, but they can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes – that’s your eyes and your mouth. Eating garlic can not help either. It might be a healthy food, but there is no evidence that it can protect people from the new coronavirus. There is also no evidence that rinsing your nose with saline can prevent an infection from COVID-19. Again, if you want to keep your nose clean and protected, just keep your hands away from it. 

Let’s protect them. Go wash those hands. 

Your best weapon against coronavirus, is keeping your hands clean. Frequently and thoroughly wash them, and avoid touching your face with them. We know it’s really hard. But let’s keep trying! Because, not only certain people are in danger. We all are. No matter what our age, our gender or our race, we can all get infected from COVID-19. Although, there are those who are more vulnerable; older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus. Let’s protect them. Go wash those hands. 

Keep loving your pets.

Keep loving your pets. They cannot transmit the virus. There is no evidence whatsoever that cats and dogs can transmit COVID-19 to humans. The same is true for mosquitos, although not a pet (not that we judge). The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. So, avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing. 

Keep your distance. 

We cannot stress this enough. The only way to protect from COVID-19 at the moment, is personal hygiene and physical distancing. There are no effective vaccines yet. The ones against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, cannot protect us from the coronavirus. This virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, and WHO is supporting their efforts. Until then, wash your hands and keep your distance. 

Antibiotics will not work either. Antibiotics work only with bacteria, not with viruses. However, if you are hospitalised for COVID-19, you may receive antibiotics since bacterial co-infection is possible. There is no specific medicine for the treatment of this virus, yet, but scientists keep working on it. In the meantime, we do our part and we try to stay safe. 

We will get through this. Just listen to the scientists.

But even if you do get infected from the virus, remember. People do recover. This does not mean you will have it for life. If you catch the disease, make sure to treat the symptoms. If you have cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early – but do so via phone first. Keep calm. Keep clean. Keep safe. Keep 2 metres apart. We will get through this. Just listen to the scientists. 

Source: World Health Organization  

Back to Our Blog