Preventive measures for COVID-19

Information for Public

The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus and to prevent spread of virus in community from the infected person. Following measures will help in prevention of the virus:

Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick or use a mask if moving out in public.
Cover your cough or sneeze with your folded elbow or a tissue.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Take lot of fluids and rest.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent 2019-nCoV infection.
The medicines used for H1N1 FLU do not work in COVID-19.
Antibiotics do not have any effect on Corona Virus, rather they make you more sicker by decreasing the appetite.
Hospitalisation is not must for all and is needed for very sick patients who need intravenous fluids or any respiratory support.

Information for health care workers

Healthcare providers should obtain a detailed travel history for patients with fever and respiratory symptoms. For patients with these symptoms who are travelling from countries were COVID-19 cases are being reported and had onset of illness within 2 weeks of leaving such areas, consider coronavirus and notify the authorities.

Suspected patients should be made to wear a surgical mask. Conduct their evaluation in a private room with the door closed. Personnel carrying out the examination should use standard precautions, contact precautions, and airborne precautions, and use eye protection (goggles, face shield disposable gowns etc).

The used masks, etc by doctors or even from confirmed cases do not need any special disinfection treatment. The routine practices of bio-medical waste handling would suffice.

Medications

Flu virus and HIV are RNA viruses are not similar to the Novel SARS Corona Virus, therefore Oseltamivir or anti HIV medicines may not be very effective.

Supportive care such as fluids, antipyretics, etc are the mainstay. Hospitalisation is needed for very sick patients who need intravenous fluids or any respiratory support.

Chloroquine, in previous vitro experiments showed that it can block virus infections by changing the intracellular pH the cell and interfering receptors of SARS coronavirus. It also shows immune-modulating activity, which may enhance its antiviral effect in vivo and is widely distributed in the whole body, including the lungs, after oral administration.

Early data from clinical trials being performed in China has revealed that chloroquine phosphate could help treat the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19 but so far no guideline has been issued for its routine use by practitioners.

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW LIVE STATUS OF COVID-19 CASES REPORTED TILL DATE