How To Stay Safe From COVID-19 In 2024: Top Tips To Follow

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a part of our daily lives since March 2020. However, with around 2,52,000 new cases a day and a death toll of more than 2,78,000 in India, it remains as crucial as ever to stay vigilant and know more about staying safe from COVID-19.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. As the vaccines continue to roll out, here are the steps you can follow to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect yourself.

How Covid-19 Spreads?

Scientists all over the world are still learning about COVID-19. But according to the CDC, the highly contagious virus appears to be most commonly spread during close person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets.

The usual means of transmission of COVID-19 is through the respiratory droplets produced when a person sneezes or coughs or comes in direct physical contact with an infected person, such as shaking hands. Moreover, the CDC reports that COVID-19 can be spread by airborne transmission, although this is less common than close contact with a person. 

How To Avoid Coronavirus?

Here are a few coronavirus prevention tips that you must follow in order to stay healthy. It might be difficult to follow these safety precautions for covid-19 as some of it might be uncommon to our routines but these tips are essential and must be noted at all times:

1. Practice Social Distancing

Close person-to-person contact seems to be the primary source of transmission, and thus social distancing is the key to mitigating spread. Further, the CDC recommends maintaining a distance of approximately 6 feet from others in public places. Consequently, this distance will help you avoid direct contact with respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.

Studies have shown that outdoor settings with enough space to distance and good ventilation reduce the risk of exposure. A study found that 318 outbreaks accounted for 1,245 confirmed cases in China, and only one outbreak occurred outdoors. This shows us that with the correct social distancing practices, you can stay safe from COVID-19.

2. Wash Hands Regularly

Practicing hygiene is an essential habit that helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. It would be best if you made these CDC recommendations a part of your daily routine:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• It is essential to wash:
• Before eating or preparing food
• Before touching your face
• After using the washroom
• After leaving a public place
• Wash after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing
• After handling/adjusting your mask
• After changing a diaper
• Wash after touching pets/animals
• After caring for someone who's sick
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Moreover, cover all surfaces of your hands with the sanitizer and rub them together until dry.
• Always avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Washing hands and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces is important. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, desks, phones, handles/grab bars, keyboard/mouse, toilets, and wash-basins. Washing hands regularly can be a great way to stay safe from Covid-19 as the virus would be actively washed off.

3. Always Wear a Mask

Face masks have become an essential accessory in protecting yourself and others from contracting COVID-19. Further, the CDC recommends that people must wear face masks in public, especially because studies have found that individuals with the novel coronavirus could be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic.

Face masks are designed to form a barrier between your airway and the outside world. By wearing a face mask covering your mouth and nose, you will lessen the risk of serving as the source of disease spread by trapping your droplets in the mask. Further, it reduces the risk of getting sick via droplets that contain the coronavirus by blocking access to your airways.

4. Stay Home Stay Safe

The CDC recommends avoiding non-essential travel to international destinations during the pandemic. Also, it advises people to compare the risks of domestic travel because travel increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. But the best way to address safety from the coronavirus is to stay at home.

If you need to travel, take necessary safety measures, consider your mode of transport and stay up to date about the restrictions that place at your destination. You will need to adhere to your state's quarantine rules after traveling. 

How to Prevent Coronavirus Infection Transmission?

If you're diagnosed with coronavirus, your healthcare provider will decide whether you need to be hospitalized or remain at home. In case you are asked to stay at home, you will need to adhere to the following steps before you can return to your normal activities:

• Don't leave home unless you need medical care. 
• Keep yourself away from other family members, including pets. Further, it is better to keep yourself quarantined in a separate room and also use a separate bathroom if possible. 
• Always wear a mask. 
• Cover your mouth while coughing or sneezing. Also, try covering your mouth with a tissue while sneezing or coughing, and dispose of the tissue immediately. 

What to Do If you Don't Feel Well?

If you do not feel well and suspect yourself of contracting Coronavirus, then here are some of the things you should do:

1. Know the Complete Range of Symptoms of COVID-19

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are dry cough, fever, and tiredness. Other symptoms include loss of taste or smell, aches, pains, headache, sore throat, red eyes, diarrhea, nasal congestion, or a skin rash.

2. Stay at Home and Self-Isolate

You need to stay at home and self-isolate even if you notice minor symptoms such as cough, loss of taste, or mild fever until you recover. Call your healthcare provider or COVID helpline number for advice.

You can also have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house or have someone near you, wear a mask to avoid infecting others. In case you have trouble breathing, seek medical attention immediately to stay safe from COVID-19. 

3. Seek Medical Help

Visit a doctor or a hospital to ensure that you take the right medication on time. The virus only gets fatal when it is given the chance to replicate. Make sure to follow the coronavirus prevention tips and follow the doctor's advice.

Related Read: Don’t Fall For These COVID Vaccine Myths

In Conclusion

COVID-19 is still a relatively new disease and has shown it is volatile and highly unpredictable. While the world is rolling out vaccination, it is crucial that you follow all the measures we've listed above to stay safe from COVID-19 and do your bit to break the transmission chain.