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Even without a vaccine and additional therapies, the coronavirus expansion can be stopped, researchers from the Netherlands say. In their opinion, it is enough to remember three simple steps. Their effectiveness in inhibiting the spread of COVID-19 has been confirmed by their research. CNN wrote about them.
Three simple behaviors to fight COVID-19
Researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht set out to assess whether social distancing and other preventive measures, such as washing hands and wearing face masks, have an impact on reducing the spread of COVID-19. In their opinion, such an analysis is urgent. The study they conducted was published on July 21 in the scientific journal PLoS Medicine. As CNN notes, it has created a new model to analyze the spread of COVID-19 and preventive measures that could help contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Although it covered only the Netherlands, scientists assure that the results can also be applied to other Western countries. What did their analyzes show?
Scientists concluded that three simple behaviors could stop some, if not completely, the COVID-19 pandemic. In their opinion, it is possible even without a vaccine or additional therapies. These behaviors include: washing hands, wearing face masks and maintaining an appropriate social distance. “A major epidemic can be prevented if the effectiveness of these measures exceeds 50%.” – say researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht.
So the study proves that raising awareness about the effectiveness of hand washing, keeping distance and wearing face masks is key to keeping an epidemic under control.
If we combine these behaviors with country-specific compliance with laws and recommendations, “it will provide the necessary time to increase the efficiency of health systems and could significantly alleviate the epidemic,” write the Dutch researchers.
As they emphasize, “governments and public health institutions should constantly mobilize people to take precautions against COVID-19”.
In the world, the number of infected and victims of the virus in the world is still growing. So far, over 15 million people have been infected, 620,3 thousand have died, and over 9,1 million have recovered.
The largest number of cases of infections takes place in the USA (over 4 million, almost 145 thousand died), Brazil (2,2 million cases, 81,5 thousand deaths) and India (1,2 million infections, 28,8 thousand deaths). ).
In Poland, the infection has so far been confirmed in 41 people, 162 patients have died, and 1 people have recovered.
- The range of the coronavirus in Poland and in the world COVID-19 [MAP update 22.07.2020]
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