Hello everyone! For this week’s episode we decided to talk about the elephant in the room and so we figured it would be proper to share our secret tips for protecting yourself and those around you from thun thun thun... Coronavirus. COVID-19 is officially labeled as a pandemic, which means it is a global outbreak. Pandemics happen when a new virus comes about and infects people as well as spreads between people across all countries. Because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against this new virus, it spreads worldwide.
Naturally, we have been following the guidelines and new information posted by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention aka the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). In case you were wondering, this should be your source of the most up to date information. A lot of false information is being shared on social media through different platforms and you should always make sure that what you are reading is coming from a reliable source. We feel like we have to share that because we have been hearing a lot from our friends and family and this is how this pandemic is creating panic and more unnecessary stress.
So before talking about how to prevent the virus we’re gonna briefly explain how it spreads. Because this is a new virus, we are also still learning about how it is spreading but this is what we know for now:
COVID-19 is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets.
So when someone coughs or sneezes, these droplets can affect the uninfected person by inhaling these particles. It is also possible to get it by touching a surface or object that carries the virus. For example, you touch a surface an infected person touched and then touch your own mouth, nose or rub your eyes. We will get more into how it spreads and about the virus another time because we can talk about this for days but we wanted to briefly spread some awareness and talk about prevention during this crucial time.
PREVENTION : The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus in the FIRST place.
ALWAYS PROTECT YOURSELF FIRST
A. Make sure to clean your hands and the key word is OFTEN. Use soap and water for 20 seconds (Lizzo’s Truth Hurts chorus works and don't speed it up in your head like I do) or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
So remember: after coming home, when you're out in public, if you have coughed or sneezed to always keep those hands clean.
B. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. We know this makes you want to touch it even more but you should really be careful because like we mentioned earlier this is a way of infecting yourself.
C. Avoid close contact with people who are sick and have symptoms such as a high fever or cough. Even if the person has the flu, the symptoms are very similar to COVID-19 so better to be safe than sorry.
D. Clean and disinfect surfaces
Secret tip places: Your doorknobs, your car door or steering wheel, cellphone, and computers! Just to name a few...
E. Try to avoid over-crowded places for the time being
PROTECT OTHERS AS WELL
If you are sick:
A. Please stay home and avoid any social contact. You need to help the virus from spreading. In other words, you should quarantine yourself for 14 days.
B. Face mask: you should wear one when you are around people at all times
C. Dispose of any tissues used while coughing or sneezing
D. Wash your hands immediately with soap
E. Clean and disinfect ALL surfaces (and by that we mean ALL surfaces..)
SIDE NOTE: Call your doctor or go to the ER if you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and/or if you develop a high grade fever as well as symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing to receive appropriate medical advice!
Let's quickly talk about FACE MASKS
If you ARE sick: you should be wearing a face mask whenever you are in contact with another person.
If you are NOT sick: you DO NOT need to be wearing a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick.
A lot of people who are not in the healthcare field have been getting access to masks like the N-95 and they have been using and wearing them incorrectly. Which is very funny to look at but is leading to a shortage in supply and should be saved for those who ACTUALLY NEED the masks to protect others such as, health care workers. Healthcare workers in particular get "fitted" for these masks with an aerosol known as Saccharin. If you taste this sweet solution then the particular mask you tried doesn't work for you so you have to try another N95 type mask.
We’re gonna finish this off by talking about managing and coping with anxiety and stress during this time. It’s normal to feel sad, scared or anxious at this time. We get it! So we encourage that you talk to people you trust so that they can help you cope during this time:
Don’t believe everything you hear or read. This can cause a lot of unnecessary uncertainty and can trigger you to become anxious and start worrying.
Take breaks from watching, reading the news and your social media. This is a good time to unwind as well as focus on you and your loved ones. It's also a good time to start that business venture or pick up a hobby you said you couldn't do because you were too busy before haha.
Take care of yourself and your body. Make sure you're keeping your immune system strong by continuing to eat healthy, getting at least 7 hours of sleep, taking your vitamins and supplements, exercising, avoiding smoking and alcohol. We will be sharing tips and tricks to boost your immunity on our instagram so make sure you are following us. If you aren’t doing that yet you can find us @thesecretscope.
Exercise at home. Try to meditate if you haven't before. It can be a time to escape from everything in the media and allow you to relax.
QUICK PSA: Don't be that person buying out all of Trader Joe's, buying masks you don't know how to properly wear, buying sanitizer or masks and then flipping it for ridiculous prices. Taking away from someone else is also taking away from yourself! Stocking up on toilet paper will not save you during this time but working together to help protect one another, staying educated, staying safe and positive will. Oh and one more thing, let's give a big thank you to all the healthcare workers who are risking their lives for us all.
If you want any more information on COVID-19 make sure to check out the CDC & WHO. They have a lot of information and up to date resources on what is currently going on. Remember to be cautious and take action in preventing the spread of this virus both for your health as well as those around you. We will also be keeping you posted on our website, instagram, pinterest and through our podcast as we are back from our mini hiatus and ready to provide you with the most relevant information!
That's all for this week, don't forget to leave us feedback, rate, review, subscribe and send in your questions so we can continue to improve as well as, provide you high quality content.
Disclaimer: The Content on our podcast/website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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