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Although self-isolation has now been canceled, but due to the third wave of infection, as well as the emergence of new strains of the virus, including the Delta and British strains, compliance with safety rules is still relevant today.1.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID 19, is spread mainly by airborne droplets and is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person when coughing and sneezing, as well as by the fecal-oral route if personal hygiene is not followed after going to the toilet and through direct contact with infected people.
Moreover, each sick person infects an average of 3-4 or more people. This rate is slightly higher than the traditional flu, where a sick person infects an average of 1,5 people, but two times lower than the common cold and four times lower than measles.2.
“If I “pour” a virus into your palm, nothing will happen to you,” says the well-known infectious disease specialist Vladimir Nikiforov.
For a person to get sick, the virus must get to the mucous membranes – in the nose, eyes, etc. Therefore, it is so important to avoid crowded places where someone infected can simply sneeze nearby, and mucus with particles of the virus will scatter around and enter the body of a healthy person. And that is why doctors insist that we:
- do not touch your face with your hands in the street;
- often washed their hands or treated them with antiseptic solutions;
- wearing masks in crowded places.
Currently, scientists already know how long the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 lives outside of humans. On average, the virus remains viable for about three days. And the longest – on plastic (up to six days), on glass – four days and stainless steel (48 hours).
But in the air in a closed room it can remain only up to three hours, and even then the concentration will be insignificant and is unlikely to be sufficient for infection.4.
Based on their current knowledge and observations, doctors have compiled a list of recommendations on how to reduce the risk of contracting COVID 19 when going out:
1. If you have long hair, put it in a hairstyle: loose, it will irritate your face and make you want to scratch it. And touching your face is not recommended!
2. Try not to touch door handles, elevator call buttons, escalator and transport handrails. If the door cannot be opened with a shoulder or a push of a foot, use a paper tissue, which is then carefully thrown into the bin, being careful not to touch the inside, potentially infected side.
3. Avoid crowding in closed spaces: if someone is riding in the elevator, go down the stairs or wait for the next one. Do not visit public places, the trip to which can be postponed or canceled.
4. When shopping and walking, keep a safe distance of 1,5 – 2 m from the nearest person.
5. If possible, avoid public transport, especially during rush hour – it is difficult to maintain a safe distance there.
6. When going to the supermarket, it is recommended to use disposable gloves so as not to come into contact with the trolley and food packages that someone may have touched before you. Remove gloves in such a way as not to touch potentially infected areas of the glove with your unprotected hand (turn them inside out when removing them).
7. When paying for purchases, try not to use cash – even in normal times, a lot of microorganisms “live” on them, which can provoke various diseases. And the virus through paper bills can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person. It is recommended to treat the plastic card periodically with antiseptics, avoiding the area of magnetic stripes. And it is best to use contactless payment at this time, if possible.
8. The door handle of your own apartment and the switches at the entrance must also be regularly treated with antiseptics.
9. Do not forget to use alcohol-based antiseptics on the handles of bags, a smartphone (both the screen and the back, and, if available, a cover). This does not give 100% protection against the virus, but allows you to remove at least some of the germs. This procedure is necessary at least every evening, on the recommendation of Rospotrebnadzor it is recommended to carry out every evening5.
If the children are not in quarantine and do not have symptoms of acute respiratory infections, you can go for a walk with them. It is recommended to follow a number of rules:
- walk only where it is possible to keep a distance of 1,5 – 2 m from other people.
- try to avoid slides, swings or carousels. The exception is adult children, who can be explained that after skiing it is important to treat their hands with an antiseptic.
Make sure that small children do not grab doors, elevator buttons, etc. on their way to the park4.
The safest way to get around the city is on foot, by bike or in your own car.
If none of these options are available, you can call a taxi – it’s safer than public transport.
If you still need to use a trolleybus, tram or metro, try to avoid rush hour, the greater the distance between people, the better.
If you walk (which is very important for maintaining immunity), choose for this sparsely populated parks and squares where it will be possible to maintain a safe distance6.
Popular questions and answers
We discussed with an expert therapist Lidia Golubenko questions regarding going out and protecting yourself from coronavirus in open air conditions.
References:
- INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR THE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF THE NEW CORONAVIRUS INFECTION (COVID-19) https://static-0.minzdrav.gov.ru/system/attachments/attaches/000/055/735/original/BMP_COVID-19.pdf
- Nikiforov V.V., Suranova T.G., Chernobrovkina Tatyana Yakovlevna, Yankovskaya Ya.D., Burova S.V. Novel coronavirus infection (Covid-19): clinical and epidemiological aspects // Archives of Internal Medicine. 2020. No. 2 (52). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/novaya-koronavirusnaya-infektsiya-covid-19-kliniko-epidemiologicheskie-aspekty
- Bilichenko T. N. Epidemiology of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) // Academy of Medicine and Sports. 2020. №2. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/epidemiologiya-novoy-koronavirusnoy-infektsii-covid-19 (date of access: 25.06.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX)
- Starshinova A. A., Kushnareva E. A., Malkova A. M., Dovgalyuk I. F., Kudlai D. A. New coronavirus infection: features of the clinical course, possibilities for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infection in adults and children. Questions of modern pediatrics. 2020; 19(2): 123–131. doi:10.15690/vsp.v19i2.2105)
- PREVENTION. Information on coronavirus and preventive measures. https://mosgorzdrav.ru/coronavirus-covid-1968 steps to prevent coronavirus infection. https://stopcoronavirus.rf/about-covid/#prevention