As most of India went into shutdown in a mega effort to stop the spread of Covid-19 — complete lockdowns were announced in 30 states/ UTs and a total of 548 districts
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Monday, March 23, 2020
India to spend $1.3 billion to boost pharmaceutical production
The program includes spending on infrastructure for drug manufacturing centers, and financial incentives of up to 20% of incremental sales value over the next eight years, according to a government statement.
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DCGI to fast-track approval for Covid-19 drug, vaccine
The DCGI has offered seven measures for speeding up the process, from giving fast-track approval for repurposed drug to waiving animal study and offering flexible pathways which earlier would have taken months. It said applications from companies will be given “high priority” and that it will assist the companies in speeding up their research.
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Sunday, March 22, 2020
World ramps up restrictions as virus cases top 300,000
The pandemic has sparked fears of a global recession, prompting governments to unleash gigantic emergency measures to avoid an economic meltdown.
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Coronavirus in India: 3 deaths, 68 new cases as total infected count hits 400
On Sunday, 68 new cases were reported by 14 states in all, the second highest for a single day after 77 cases reported on Saturday.
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New story in Health from Time: What Astronauts Can Teach Us About Isolation and Quarantine
It’s not hard to practice social distancing at Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. Once you get away from the hangars and launch pad and the railroad line that connects them, the place is practically bucolic—a large, leafy compound of low-slung buildings, less a space complex than a sort of Camp David in Kazakhstan. That’s a very good thing for a crew preparing to take off for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, since they spend their last two weeks before launch in medical quarantine, living together, along with their back-up crew, in bungalow-like quarters. Baikonur staffers who come into contact with them are gowned, gloved and masked like surgeons, all in an effort to make sure no illnesses are carried to the ISS.
One thing astronauts who are not actually in space at the moment have on the rest of us is that, given their experience with quarantine and isolation, they’re far less likely than we are to go stir-crazy while stuck at home during the corona crisis. As a result, they have a lot to teach us. One thing we share with them is that staying occupied always helps.
“The amount of time Shuttle astronauts were isolated [missions averaged two weeks in length] was less than what our current shelter in place is going to be and the most important difference is we were ragged busy!” wrote retired astronaut Marsha Ivins, a veteran of five shuttle missions, in an email to TIME. “We were working 18-hour days before, during and after the mission.”
That kind of schedule-filling helps during the long-term isolation of three-, six-, and 12-month rotations aboard the space station too.
“The key to any successful expedition is to keep the crew busy,” says former NASA astronaut and space station veteran Terry Virts. “A busy crew is a happy crew—and a bored crew is a disaster. This is a great time for people to do the things they’ve been delaying for years—organize the house, start writing that novel, organize your family photos and scan the old photo albums, come up with a financial plan once the economy turns somewhat normal again—and it will.”
Then too there is the matter of the people you live with in such close quarters—whether on the ground or aboard the station. While sheltering in place might seem especially challenging for people living alone—an arrangement that describes 28% of American households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau—there is something wearying about coming face to face with the same faces every day.
“I remember many of the long-duration crews mentioning that seeing a new crew after two or three months was great because it was suddenly people who weren’t them,” says Ivins. “On my relatively short flights I was also happy in a few mission cases to be done with people who were us.”
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The lesson for people isolating now is not so much to have some new faces over, since that defeats the whole point of social distancing, but to have time apart from the ones in your household. That might mean taking a walk or even deliberately splitting up—someone going into the backyard while someone heads for the front yard and someone else gets the den.
None of that works as well as it could, of course, if there are contrarians in the brood, and every family has them—people inclined toward short tempers or crankiness under stress. While it is the responsibility of those more-snappish folks to keep their worst tendencies in harness, it helps if the rest of the family strives for greater tolerance.
Perhaps the most grueling of all space-isolation experiments was the 1965 Gemini 7 mission. It lasted just two weeks, but they were two miserable weeks. Astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder in airline-coach-sized seats, with a wall on both sides (no aisle seats here) and the ceiling barely three inches above their heads. Borman and Lovell ate, slept and took care of other bodily business in those conditions for a full fortnight. Both astronauts came to describe the mission as “two weeks in a men’s room.”
They survived it all because NASA knew its astronauts well and was very adept at pairing up personalities. Borman was and remains an agreeable sort, but he was also an exceedingly serious, by-the-book astronaut. Lovell was and remains looser, easily among the most affable astronauts in the old corps. “If you can’t get along with Lovell,” Borman told me in 2015 when I was writing a book on Apollo 8, another mission they flew together, “you can’t get a long with anyone.” The combination of the strict Borman and the looser Lovell made for both a tight ship and a minimum of friction.
For all the deep experience Ivins, Virts, Lovell and Borman share, however, there might be no one better able to help terrestrial humans through the challenges of isolation than the veterans of the first three successful lunar landings. They not only went into medical quarantine before each mission, then flew the mission all alone together, they also spent three more weeks in lockdown after they came home, just in case they were carrying any lunar pathogens.
In a delightful story just published in Ars Technica, Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin shared the secret of how he’s passing the time while trying to stay safe from coronavirus: “Lying on my ass and locking the door,” he said simply.
Intended or not, Buzz’s message is a little like Virts’s words on the economy: Relax. This will get better; these times will pass. Viruses and bacteria have had their way with humanity since we emerged on the savannah, and we have had our way right back at them—first via our immune systems, later by acquired knowledge of social distancing and good hygiene, and later still by advanced science, vaccinating and medicating the pathogens into submission.
COVID-19 is, in some ways, Apollo 13: It blindsided us, it’s challenging us, and for now it feels like it’s defeating us. But we’re smarter and nimbler than an insensible virus and there should be no doubt who will win in the end. See y’all at splashdown.
A version of this article was originally published in TIME’s Space newsletter. Click here to sign up to receive these stories early.
What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact2 with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick
If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, follow the steps below to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.
Stay home except to get medical care:
You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:
People: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
Animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor:
If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
Wear a facemask:
You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask if they enter your room.
Cover your coughs and sneezes:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Clean your hands often:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid sharing personal household items:
You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product
If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact2 with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick
If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, follow the steps below to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.
Stay home except to get medical care:
You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:
People: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
Animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor:
If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
Wear a facemask:
You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask if they enter your room.
Cover your coughs and sneezes:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Clean your hands often:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid sharing personal household items:
You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product
How to prevent Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection in public places?
How to prevent Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection in public places?
During an epidemic outbreak, try to avoid visits to public spaces, especially places with large crowds and poor ventilation like cinemas. Wear a face mask if visits to public spaces are required. Cough or sneeze into tissues completely covering the nose and mouth. Seal used tissues in a plastic bag before discarding immediately in a closed bin labeled “residual waste” or “medical waste” to prevent the virus from spreading. Operators of public spaces should maintain a hygienic indoor environment, ensure regular ventilation and sterilization every day.
During an epidemic outbreak, try to avoid visits to public spaces, especially places with large crowds and poor ventilation like cinemas. Wear a face mask if visits to public spaces are required. Cough or sneeze into tissues completely covering the nose and mouth. Seal used tissues in a plastic bag before discarding immediately in a closed bin labeled “residual waste” or “medical waste” to prevent the virus from spreading. Operators of public spaces should maintain a hygienic indoor environment, ensure regular ventilation and sterilization every day.
How to get mentally prepared during the outbreak of COVID-19?
How to get mentally prepared during the outbreak of COVID-19?
(1) Adjust your attitudes and view COVID-19 from a scientific perspective. During the early days of the outbreak, limited knowledge on the risks and prevention of COVID-19 might cause a sense of anxiety and panic among the public, which was exacerbated by rumors. Have confidence in the authoritative efforts for prevention and control and trust scientific research findings of the disease. Adjust your attitudes, act with caution and stay away from fear.
(2) Acknowledge your anxiety and fear. Faced with an unknown epidemic, few people can stay calm. The increased number of confirmed cases would lead to the assumption that the new virus is present everywhere and is unpreventable, causing anxiety and fear. That is natural. Accept the status and avoid excessive self-blame for feeling such emotions.
(3) Maintain a regular and healthy lifestyle: adequate sleep, a healthy balanced diet of diverse food groups, a regular work routine which may help distract ourselves from the epidemic, and a moderate exercise regimen.
(4) Allow yourself to let off steam when you feel necessary. Occasional laughing, crying, shouting, exercising, singing, speaking, chatting, writing, or drawing can help release anger and anxiety, divert your attention, and calm down effectively. Watching TV or listening to music at home also helps to ease anxiety.
(5) Relax and cope with your emotions. Relaxation techniques can help you release your negative emotions such as tension, depression, and anxiety. There are many ways of relaxation and the key to successful relaxation is to understand the basic principles of the techniques and practice.
• Relaxation through visualization. Maintain a slow, steady and deep breath during the whole process, and feel warm energy flowing through your body with visualization.
• Muscle relaxation. Relax your arms, head, trunk and legs successively. Keep the environment quiet, dim the light and minimize sensory stimuli. A simple five-step relaxation cycle consists of: focusing your attention → tensing your muscles → maintaining the tension → releasing the tension → relaxing your muscles.
• Relaxation through deep breathing: this is the easiest way to relax that can be used in any situation where you feel nervous. Steps: stand up straight, put your shoulders down naturally, slightly close your eyes, and then inhale deeply and exhale slowly. It usually takes just a few minutes to feel relaxed.
(6) Seek professional support. Seek counseling or medical treatment for unresolved tension, anxiety, fear, anger, sleep disorder, physical reactions, etc. On a different note, when a quarantined or suspected patient manifests extreme emotions and behaviors, prevention and control professionals should consider the possible onset of psychiatric disorders, and send the person in case to mental health institutions and personnel. Such extreme emotions and behaviors include: anxiety, depression, delusion, restlessness, uncontrollable and improper speech or actions, or even violent refusal or evasion of quarantine, and suicidal ideation
(1) Adjust your attitudes and view COVID-19 from a scientific perspective. During the early days of the outbreak, limited knowledge on the risks and prevention of COVID-19 might cause a sense of anxiety and panic among the public, which was exacerbated by rumors. Have confidence in the authoritative efforts for prevention and control and trust scientific research findings of the disease. Adjust your attitudes, act with caution and stay away from fear.
(2) Acknowledge your anxiety and fear. Faced with an unknown epidemic, few people can stay calm. The increased number of confirmed cases would lead to the assumption that the new virus is present everywhere and is unpreventable, causing anxiety and fear. That is natural. Accept the status and avoid excessive self-blame for feeling such emotions.
(3) Maintain a regular and healthy lifestyle: adequate sleep, a healthy balanced diet of diverse food groups, a regular work routine which may help distract ourselves from the epidemic, and a moderate exercise regimen.
(4) Allow yourself to let off steam when you feel necessary. Occasional laughing, crying, shouting, exercising, singing, speaking, chatting, writing, or drawing can help release anger and anxiety, divert your attention, and calm down effectively. Watching TV or listening to music at home also helps to ease anxiety.
(5) Relax and cope with your emotions. Relaxation techniques can help you release your negative emotions such as tension, depression, and anxiety. There are many ways of relaxation and the key to successful relaxation is to understand the basic principles of the techniques and practice.
• Relaxation through visualization. Maintain a slow, steady and deep breath during the whole process, and feel warm energy flowing through your body with visualization.
• Muscle relaxation. Relax your arms, head, trunk and legs successively. Keep the environment quiet, dim the light and minimize sensory stimuli. A simple five-step relaxation cycle consists of: focusing your attention → tensing your muscles → maintaining the tension → releasing the tension → relaxing your muscles.
• Relaxation through deep breathing: this is the easiest way to relax that can be used in any situation where you feel nervous. Steps: stand up straight, put your shoulders down naturally, slightly close your eyes, and then inhale deeply and exhale slowly. It usually takes just a few minutes to feel relaxed.
(6) Seek professional support. Seek counseling or medical treatment for unresolved tension, anxiety, fear, anger, sleep disorder, physical reactions, etc. On a different note, when a quarantined or suspected patient manifests extreme emotions and behaviors, prevention and control professionals should consider the possible onset of psychiatric disorders, and send the person in case to mental health institutions and personnel. Such extreme emotions and behaviors include: anxiety, depression, delusion, restlessness, uncontrollable and improper speech or actions, or even violent refusal or evasion of quarantine, and suicidal ideation
What lifestyle is recommended amid the outbreak of COVID-19?
What lifestyle is recommended amid the outbreak of COVID-19?
(1) Eat high-protein foods daily including fish, meat, eggs, milk, legumes, and nuts, keep an adequate intake based on the daily diet. Do not eat wild animal meats.
(2) Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and increase the intake based on the daily diet.
(3) Drink no less than 1500 mL of water per day.
(4) Have a varied, diverse diet of different types, colors, and sources. Eat more than 20 kinds of food every day. Eat a balanced diet of animal- and plant-based foods.
(5) Ensure enough intake of nutrition based on the regular diet.
(6) Undernourished, elderly people and patients with chronic wasting diseases are recommended to supplement with commercial enteral nutrition solutions (foods for special medical purposes), and supplement no less than an extra 2100 kJ daily (500 kcal).
(7) Do not fast or go on a diet during an epidemic of COVID-19.
(8) Ensure regular rest and a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each day.
(9) Start a personal exercise regimen with no less than 1 hour of exercise per day. Do not participate in group exercises.
(10) During an epidemic of COVID-19, it is recommended to supplement with multi-vitamins, minerals, and deep-sea fish oi
(1) Eat high-protein foods daily including fish, meat, eggs, milk, legumes, and nuts, keep an adequate intake based on the daily diet. Do not eat wild animal meats.
(2) Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and increase the intake based on the daily diet.
(3) Drink no less than 1500 mL of water per day.
(4) Have a varied, diverse diet of different types, colors, and sources. Eat more than 20 kinds of food every day. Eat a balanced diet of animal- and plant-based foods.
(5) Ensure enough intake of nutrition based on the regular diet.
(6) Undernourished, elderly people and patients with chronic wasting diseases are recommended to supplement with commercial enteral nutrition solutions (foods for special medical purposes), and supplement no less than an extra 2100 kJ daily (500 kcal).
(7) Do not fast or go on a diet during an epidemic of COVID-19.
(8) Ensure regular rest and a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each day.
(9) Start a personal exercise regimen with no less than 1 hour of exercise per day. Do not participate in group exercises.
(10) During an epidemic of COVID-19, it is recommended to supplement with multi-vitamins, minerals, and deep-sea fish oi
What should I do amid a close contact with a COVID-19 patient?
Monitoring close contacts: All persons (including medical professionals) who may have been in contact with a suspected case should have a 14-day medical observation. The observation starts from the last day of contact with the patient. Seek medical help as soon as you experience any symptoms, especially fever, respiratory symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, or diarrhea. During the observation, contacts should keep in touch with medical professionals.
Medical professionals should inform the contacts in advance, if symptoms present, where they can seek medical help, the most suggested transportation, when and where to enter a designated hospital, and what infection control measures to take. Specific instructions are as follows:
(1) Notify the hospital in advance and inform them that contact with symptoms is going to the hospital.
(2) Wear a surgical mask on the way to the hospital.
(3) Avoid taking public transportation to the hospital. Call an ambulance or use a private vehicle, and try to keep the windows open on the road.
(4) Close contacts of patients should maintain respiratory hygiene at all time and wash their hands frequently. Stay far away from other people (> 1 m) while standing or sitting on the road to or at the hospital.
(5) Contacts of patients and their caregivers should wash their hands properly.
(6) Any surfaces contaminated with respiratory secretions or bodily fluids on the way to the hospital should be cleaned and disinfected with ordinary household disinfectants containing diluted bleach.
Medical professionals should inform the contacts in advance, if symptoms present, where they can seek medical help, the most suggested transportation, when and where to enter a designated hospital, and what infection control measures to take. Specific instructions are as follows:
(1) Notify the hospital in advance and inform them that contact with symptoms is going to the hospital.
(2) Wear a surgical mask on the way to the hospital.
(3) Avoid taking public transportation to the hospital. Call an ambulance or use a private vehicle, and try to keep the windows open on the road.
(4) Close contacts of patients should maintain respiratory hygiene at all time and wash their hands frequently. Stay far away from other people (> 1 m) while standing or sitting on the road to or at the hospital.
(5) Contacts of patients and their caregivers should wash their hands properly.
(6) Any surfaces contaminated with respiratory secretions or bodily fluids on the way to the hospital should be cleaned and disinfected with ordinary household disinfectants containing diluted bleach.
What are the key moments for hand hygiene in daily life?
What are the key moments for hand hygiene in daily life to protect from Covid-19?
(1) When you cover a cough or a sneeze with your hand.
(2) After caring for a patient.
(3) Before, during, and after preparing food.
(4) Before eating.
(5) After going to the toilet.
(6) After touching animals.
(7) After touching elevator buttons and door handles or knobs.
(8) After coming home from outside.
(1) When you cover a cough or a sneeze with your hand.
(2) After caring for a patient.
(3) Before, during, and after preparing food.
(4) Before eating.
(5) After going to the toilet.
(6) After touching animals.
(7) After touching elevator buttons and door handles or knobs.
(8) After coming home from outside.
Does handwashing with soap and clean water work against coronaviruses?
Does handwashing with soap and clean water work against coronaviruses?
Yes, it does. Frequent hand washing is one of the effective measures to prevent viral infection such as rhinovirus and coronavirus. Rubbing hands with soap and water can effectively remove dirt and microorganisms on the skin, and rinsing out the soap under running water can also relieve irritation to the skin. Therefore, authoritative organizations such as the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all recommend washing hands thoroughly with soap and running water.
How to wash your hands correctly?
Step 1: Apply soap to hands and scrub palm to palm with fingers interlaced.
Step 2: Put one palm on the back of another hand and scrub your fingers. Change hands.
Step 3: Scrub between your fingers.
Step 4: Rub the back of your fingers against your palms. Do the same with the other hand.
Step 5: Scrub your thumb using the other hand. Do the same with the other thumb.
Step 6: Rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of the other hand
Step 7: Rub the wrist of one hand with the other hand while rotating it. Do the same with the other hand.
In each of the above steps, do each step no fewer than 5 times, and finally, rinse your hands under running water.
How to clean hands if clean water is not available?
You can clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Coronaviruses are not resistant to acid or alkali but are sensitive to organic solvents and disinfectants. 75% alcohol can inactivate the virus, so alcohol-containing disinfection products of an absolute (100%) concentration can be used as an alternative to washing hands with soap and running water
What are the features of masks for different purposes?
Major types of masks: N95/KN95 respirators, surgical face masks, and cotton face masks.
N95/KN95 respirators can filter 95% of particles with an aerodynamic diameter greater than or equal to 0.3 μm, and block viruses. They can help prevent airborne diseases.
Disposable surgical face masks have 3 layers. The outer layer is hydrophobic non-woven layer that prevents droplets from entering the mask; the middle layer has a filter to block 90% of particles with a diameter greater than 5μm; and the inner layer in contact with the nose and mouth absorbs moisture. They are typically for sterile medical operations and be used to prevent airborne diseases.
Cotton face masks are heavy, stuffy, and do not fit closely to the face, and thus not effective against viruses
How to keep yourself away from the novel coronavirus?
How to keep yourself away from the novel coronavirus?
(1) 2019-nCoV is mainly transmitted by droplets and contacts, therefore medical surgical masks must be worn properly.
(2) When sneezing or coughing, do not cover nose and mouth with bare hands but use a tissue or a mask instead.
(3) Wash hands properly and frequently. Even if there are viruses present on hands, washing hands can block the viruses from entering respiratory tract through nose or mouth.
(4) Boost your immunity, and avoid going to crowded and enclosed places. Exercise more and have a regular sleep schedule. Boosting your immunity is the most important way to avoid being infected.
(5) Be sure to wear the mask always! Just in case you come in contact with an infected person, wearing a mask can prevent you from inhaling virus-carrying droplets directly.
Can a mask block such small coronaviruses?
The masks are effective. Because the purpose of wearing the mask is to block the ‘carrier’ by which the virus is transmitted, rather than directly blocking the viruses. Common routes for transmission of respiratory viruses include close contact over a short distance and aerosol transmission over a long distance. Aerosols which people usually come in contact with refer to respiratory droplets from patients. Wearing a mask properly can effectively block respiratory droplets and therefore prevent the virus from directly entering the body.
Please be reminded that it is not necessary to wear a KN95 or N95 respirator. Regular surgical masks can block most virus-carrying droplets from entering the respiratory tract.
(1) 2019-nCoV is mainly transmitted by droplets and contacts, therefore medical surgical masks must be worn properly.
(2) When sneezing or coughing, do not cover nose and mouth with bare hands but use a tissue or a mask instead.
(3) Wash hands properly and frequently. Even if there are viruses present on hands, washing hands can block the viruses from entering respiratory tract through nose or mouth.
(4) Boost your immunity, and avoid going to crowded and enclosed places. Exercise more and have a regular sleep schedule. Boosting your immunity is the most important way to avoid being infected.
(5) Be sure to wear the mask always! Just in case you come in contact with an infected person, wearing a mask can prevent you from inhaling virus-carrying droplets directly.
Can a mask block such small coronaviruses?
The masks are effective. Because the purpose of wearing the mask is to block the ‘carrier’ by which the virus is transmitted, rather than directly blocking the viruses. Common routes for transmission of respiratory viruses include close contact over a short distance and aerosol transmission over a long distance. Aerosols which people usually come in contact with refer to respiratory droplets from patients. Wearing a mask properly can effectively block respiratory droplets and therefore prevent the virus from directly entering the body.
Please be reminded that it is not necessary to wear a KN95 or N95 respirator. Regular surgical masks can block most virus-carrying droplets from entering the respiratory tract.
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