As public concern grows in response to the increase of new cases across the province and across the globe, its important to take the time to understand what the virus is and what we can do to prevent its spread.
Here are 3 Keys to combat the Corona virus.
1.Understand Your Risk
2.Get Your Facts Straight
3.Take Action for Prevention
Understand Your Risk
1. Understanding the risk begins with understanding what the virus is, the symptoms and how it is spread.
What is a Corona virus?
Corona viruses are a group of viruses that infect both humans and animals and belong to the family of Coronaviridae. In humans, corona viruses can cause mild disease similar to a common cold; while other strains of this family of viruses can cause more intense symptoms of virus growth disease including fever, cough and respiratory symptoms-as in the newest one identified in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China.
Get Your Facts Straight
2. Getting the right facts begins with having the right source for reliable information and updates. The World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public) is one reliable source to note:
Myths and Facts About Corona virus
As more cases of the newly discovered corona virus (2019-nCoV) are reported, more information is becoming available from multiple sources. It is important to get the facts from credible sources so you can take the right action to stay safe.
Age Advantage: Anyone, any age can contract the corona virus. However, the elderly and individuals suffering from medical conditions including asthma, heart disease and diabetes may be more susceptible.
Medical Treatment: Currently there is no medicine available or recommended for the treatment or prevention of the new corona virus (2019-nCoV). Patients who are infected with this virus may receive medication that may relieve and treat symptoms.
Antibiotics: Antibiotics cannot and should not be used to treat or prevent the corona virus; antibiotics are only effective against bacteria and do not combat viruses. Patients who are hospitalized for 2019-nCoV may also receive antibiotics due to the possibility of bacterial co-infection.
Vaccines: Researchers are actively working to create a new vaccine to combat the new corona virus (2019-nCoV). The World Health Organization has made it clear that because this virus is new and unique, it requires its own specialized vaccine. No existing vaccines-including influenza type B (Hib) vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine-are effective against this strain of corona virus and cannot provide protection against 2019-nCoV.
Take Action for Prevention
3.Taking action for prevention begins with washing your hands.
How to Help Prevent the Spread of Corona virus 2019-nCoV
The World Health Organization, is urging everyone to take essential precautions to prevent the spread of the virus including:
1) Frequently washing our hands
2) Covering our mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with disposable tissue or your elbow and
3) Maintaining a safe social distance of 3 feet from anyone who is coughing, sneezing or expelling saliva or mucus.
Although the corona virus is of great concern, there are precautions we can all take. And with the right information we can do our part to keep ourselves, and the world, safe.
Toronto Public Health
Government of Canada – Public Health Services
World Health Organization