By Jo Lynn Chong
World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the following basic measures to protect ourselves against the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has devastated Hubei province in China.
- Clean hands between preparing food, before eating, after toilet use, after handling animals, animal waste or animal products and after having contact with sick people or their environments.
- When hands are visibly dirty, clean them with soap and running water.
When hands are not visibly dirty, frequently clean them using alcohol-based hand sanitiser or soap and water.- Avoid having contact with stray, sick or dead animals, spoiled meat, fluids and waste in markets and in public.
- Wear protective clothing, gloves and facial protection when handling animals and animal products.
- Follow good food safety practices when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs.
- Use different chopping boards and knives for raw meat and cooked foods.
- Do not eat sick animals and animals that died of diseases.
- Avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products.
- Avoid travelling and having close contact with other people when you have fever and cough.
Avoid close contact with sufferers of fever and cough.- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
- Disinfect working area and equipment at least once a day.
- Remove protective clothing after work and wash daily.
- Seek early medical care if you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
- Avoid spitting in public.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough with flexed elbow or tissue, then immediately throw used tissue into a closed bin after use, followed by washing hands.
- Maintain a distance of at least 1m (3ft) away from other people.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you wear a mask and avoid touching the mask once it is on.
- Immediately discard a single-use mask after each use and wash hands after removing the mask.
