How to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus in Qatar

How to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus in Qatar

As Qatar braces itself against the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, it’s important for you to know just how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from the rapidly spreading viral illness. While there is currently no cure or vaccine for the disease, prevention is still the best policy to shield yourself from getting sick.

The novel coronavirus infection includes symptoms such as cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath among others. A severe infection can cause pneumonia, kidney failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and death.

Some who have been infected do recover, but as the disease can prove fatal, it’s important to stay abreast of the latest updates from the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Public Health, and your local health authorities when it comes to medical developments across the globe. In the meantime, you can arm yourself against the virus by taking care of your health with the following preventive measures:

• Perform frequent hand washing. Clean your hands thoroughly with soap and water, or, if these are unavailable, with alcohol-based hand washes. Make sure that you wash between the fingers, under your nails, and your wrists as well.
• Maintain at least a one-meter or three-feet social distance from anyone who is sick or is coughing. This is to keep you from breathing in small liquid droplets that may be expelled from the nose or the mouth of an infected person, whether or not he or she has the COVID-19 virus.
• If you can help it, avoid touching your mouth, your nose, and your eyes. Your hands touch a great deal of objects throughout the day, and they can easily pick up viruses everywhere. Contaminated hands can transfer harmful bacteria and viruses to your face, where the virus can enter your body.
• Practice good hygiene. Cover your mouth and your nose with a tissue or with your bent elbow whenever you sneeze or cough to keep from spreading any infections to the people around you.
• If you feel like you have cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, seek medical help immediately. Early detection may save not just your own life but the lives of those around you. Seek medical care and call in advance so that you can be duly directed to the correct health facility.
• Follow the advice of your local heath care providers and authorities. This is not the time to be stubborn—following the official statements and memos from authorities is for everyone’s benefit. Keep yourself in-the-know regarding the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 in your area.
• If you’re feeling unwell, it’s best to stay home even when you simply have mild symptoms. It’s always best to be safe rather than sorry.
• If you have travelled to China and other infected countries or you have had contact with an infected person, seek local medical help or call the MOPH hotline at ​​16000.

​While the Ministry of Public Health along with Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport are religiously monitoring the coronavirus situation and taking precautionary measures via screening, nothing beats your own personal way of protecting yourself by following standard infection prevention measures.