Covid-19 outbreak in UK: Safety tips you must know

The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is spreading throughout the UK and across the globe. At the time of writing this article, 29,474 cases and 2,352 deaths have been confirmed in the UK. Yesterday, the government vowed to ramp up its testing capacity amid a global shortage of the chemicals needed for testing. Meanwhile, citizens also have an essential role to play in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

In this Pacific Prime UK article, we will discuss some small changes in personal behavior that can protect both yourself and your community.

1. Stay at home

The government has asked everyone to stay home and avoid unnecessary trips or social contact. This is the simplest way to contain the spread of the virus. Even those who may not be at the highest risk should stay home as much as possible since this can help protect the most vulnerable. Below are the three most common ways to reduce contact:

Self-distancing

Everyone should be doing it. You should go outside ONLY for food, health reasons or work (if your boss does not allow you to work from home). When you go out, stay two meters away from other people whenever possible, and wash your hands immediately when you arrive home. Since the virus can spread even if you don’t exhibit any symptoms, you should avoid meeting others, even friends or family members.

Self-isolation

Self-isolation is for those displaying symptoms or living with someone displaying symptoms. If you suspect that you have symptoms of coronavirus illness, you should stay home for 7 days and your family members should stay home for 14 days, starting from the day when the first person in the house became sick.

Both you and your family members should avoid contacting others or leaving the house for any reason.

Shielding

It is intended for extremely vulnerable persons, such as those living in long-term care facilities, the elderly, persons with special needs or particular health conditions. It is a type of self-isolation that involves not leaving your home for any reason for at least 12 weeks to reduce your risk of contracting the coronavirus.

2. Maintain personal hygiene 

Good personal hygiene is key to minimizing the risk of coronavirus infection. You should follow these basic personal hygiene habits to prevent infection:

Wash your hands the right way

Check out the video above to see how to wash your hands properly. You should wet your hands, soap up, and scrub everywhere from fingertips to wrists for about 20 seconds.

Instead of shaking your hands to air dry them, you should dry with a paper towel to remove any lingering germs, and use the towel to turn the faucet handle to avoid re-contaminating your hands again.

As a general practice, wash your hands before you leave home and arrive at your destination, and before, during, and after you prepare food.

Use hand sanitizer

If you are away from a sink, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol instead. Scrub your hands the same way you would with soap and water.

Avoid touching your face

It’s time to break the habit of touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Although studies show that it is a common form of self-soothing, when you touch your face, germs can take up residence in your mucous membranes which can lead to an infection.

Cover your sneeze or cough

You should use a tissue for coughs and sneezes. The rule of thumb is to never sneeze into your bare hands as you may contaminate anything you touch afterward. If you don’t find a tissue, sneeze into your elbow instead since we don’t usually touch that part of our arms, and germs die more quickly on fabrics than on hard surfaces.

3. Protect yourself and your family

Stock up on food properly

You should stock your kitchen to prepare for a two-week emergency supply, especially boxed or canned pantry items and long-lasting refrigerated foods. Eat fresh produce for daily life and save other produce for unexpected events. However, this does not mean panic-buying food and fighting over toilet paper. If you buy too much, other people – perhaps someone more vulnerable than you – may not have what they need.

Get your medications ready

Aside from food, you should also ensure a steady, preferably a 90-day supply, of prescription drugs. Talk to your pharmacist or general practitioner about how you might stock up on medication and whether any of the drugs you take are at risk for shortages.

Contact Pacific Prime for more information

The coronavirus is still growing across the world, with new developments and outbreaks almost every day. Our specialists at Pacific Prime will continue to monitor the situation and produce feature articles on the coronavirus every week. If you’re struggling with the current situation, you might want to check out our previous article on the insurance cover for the coronavirus.

As a global health insurance brokerage, Pacific Prime specializes in international health insurance and employees benefits solutions. Contact us today for impartial advice or a free quote!