The best advice for staying safe as the Coronavirus spreads

As COVID-19 spreads across the globe and panic sets in, our advice is to stay calm and that your best defence against Coronavirus is a pretty simple one.

It’s this; wash your hands, frequently and efficiently.

There’s washing your hands and then there’s effectively washing your hands. A lot of people miss key parts of their hands while washing – the wrists, in between the fingers and the thumbs are often passed over. Timing is also important – you should take about forty seconds to a minute to give them a decent scrub, try singing Happy Birthday twice while you wash (that should about cover the time).

When should you wash and how often? Before you eat, after using the bathroom, after petting animals, gardening or any time they look or feel grubby.

Good coughing etiquette is also something people should be practising and, for now, it’s okay to skip a handshake. The advice now is rather to cough into your hand, cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow, or use tissues and wash your hands. If a tissue is used, discard it immediately in a closed bin.

Your hands do get around, so you should avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Check out this video from the World Health Organisation on how to protect yourself against Covid-19.

We recommend avoiding the tabloids and sticking with reputable news agencies such as the World Health Organisation when looking for info on the outbreak. (https://www.who.int/)