One of the important steps in prevention of COVID-19, the virulent virus ravaging the world, is living healthy through maintaining good personal hygiene amongst other things like proper use of face-masks and self isolation.
Here are a few tips on living healthy during this pandemic:
- Proper and Regular Hand washing. Because the corona-virus can live for hours to days on surfaces like counter-tops and doorknobs, washing of hands with soap under running water is as essential as breathing. The length of its survival on surfaces depends on the material the surface is made from. In the absence of hand-washing, the use of hand sanitizers can suffice.
- Disinfecting Surfaces. Asides stopping handshakes, keeping surfaces clean is an important step to healthy living, even if everyone in your house is healthy. Be aware that people who are infected may not show symptoms, but they can still shed the virus onto surfaces. Therefore, you need to clean and disinfect all surfaces at home and offices everyday. This includes: tables, doorknobs, phones, remote controls, toilets, etc. If the surfaces are dirty, clean them first with soap and water and then disinfect them.
- Maintaining Physical distancing. The corona-virus spreads mainly from person to person. When someone who is infected coughs or sneezes, they send droplets containing the virus into the air. A healthy person can then breathe in those droplets. Keeping a physical distance of at least two metres from anyone coughing could save you from being the next patient in the isolation unit.
- Eating Healthy. Eat a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. It has been noted that those who have recovered from the COVID-19 virus have good immune systems. Although no specific food can boost one’s immunity, eating healthy and balanced diet helps one maintain good immunity.
- Exercise regularly. Physical activity is important for people of all weight ranges and health conditions. It helps burn off the extra calories, and good for the heart and circulatory system— improving the overall health well-being. Despite being in a lock-down, thirty minutes of moderate exercise around your compound would be great keeping fit.
- Physical Hygiene. Because you can also catch the virus if you touch a surface or object that has the virus on it, taking baths at morning and evenings, changing of underwear and clothes is important, not just at this period of pandemic but always. This prevents developing body odor and harboring other microbes that can lead to other infections.
