The virus responsible for Covid-19 disease belongs to the group of coronaviruses and is known as SARS-Cov-2. Covid-19 disease was first identified in china on December 31st 2019 as clusters of pneumonia cases were growing in the city of Wuhan. The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30th 2020. As the virus began to spread around the world through travel, the WHO pronounced the COVID-19 disease as a Pandemic on March 11th. Since then, all countries around the world began to put restrictions on travel and public gatherings. The first presumptive case of Covid-19 in Manitoba was announced on March 12th 2020 and the province of Manitoba also declared a state of emergency on March 20th. Soon after, many workplaces, businesses, schools, daycare centres were closed. The world world stood at a stand still for a couple of months.
On May 4th, Manitoba began phase 1 of reopening the economy and thankfully the economy has been gradually going back to a "new normal". Many more people are going back to work, and come September, children are also going back to school. Today, I am going to be reviewing salient points to consider while returning to work and school, how to keep safe and avoid contracting the virus.
Please note that even though the economy has reopened, we are still in the middle of this pandemic. New cases are being announced every day. Most cases are related to travel or direct contact of positive cases. Good thing so far is that community transmission is very low and limited in Winnipeg as of present moment. But we must still beware and take heed to the public health orders to keep ourselves and family safe.
Transmission: how is the coronavirus transmitted? coronavirus is transmitted from person to person mainly through large muco-salivary droplets that may be dispersed by sneezing, coughing, singing or even while talking normally. These large droplets are not expected to be projected further than 2 meters. However, new evidence has also shown that the coronavirus can be airborne in certain cases, ie smaller droplets containing SARS-cov-2 can be suspended in the air for hours and wafted further further than 2 meters away from the originator. And this is why indoor gatherings may carry greater risks especially when the ventilation is poor. The coronavirus may also be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces such as door knobs, tables, chairs and then touching your face, eyes or nose. Hence the need to wash or sanitize our hands frequently and avoid touching the face.
How to protect yourself from the corona virus?
Hygiene: you should try to practice proper hygiene especially in regards to hand washing. You can also use an hand sanitizer whenever there is no access to water and soap. You should be washing your hands immediately after coming back home from work and try to sanitize frequently touched surfaces. Avoid touching your eyes and nose. Coughing and sneezing into the sleeves.
Nutrition: make sure that you are eating balanced diet, fruits and vegetables. And staying adequately hydrated. If necessary you can supplement your diet with multivitamins. But multivitamins should not stand in the place of proper nutrition. Regular intake of Vitamin C has also been associated with improved immune system.
Sleep routine: as an adult, you should be sleeping for around 8 hours daily and for children the number can be up to 10 hours. Adequate sleep allows the body to renew itself and boosts immunity.
Social and physical distancing: you should try to maintain distance of at least 2 meters between us and other people. When such distancing cannot be allowed then you should be wearing a mask.
Proper mask wearing: choose between fabric vs disposable. Fabric masks made from cotton are best and should be washed regularly in a warm cycle. Children above 10 years of age may be required to wear masks in school. Caution your children never to share mask with friends. Children's masks should be properly labeled so as not to be mixed up with other children at school.
Other tips for children:
In most Canadian provinces, school age children are set to go back to school come September. It is a difficult decision to choose whether to send kids back to school or not, and I believe the provincial government do not take it lightly. Most parents are worried about the implications of the ongoing pandemic on their wards' experiences in school this fall and for someone like me, sending my first child to kindergarten this fall, the worries are even more heightened. So I decided to do some research into what I can do on my part as a parent to make the school year a good experience for my little son.
Doctor's visit: visit your doctor or pediatrician to make sure your children are in good shape and are up to date with their immunization schedule.
Have a conversation about the pandemic with your children, make sure they understand why they need to take the precautions and when you talk to them, listen to their concerns.
School policies and protocols: engage the school authorities and ensure your child's school have put several policies in place to avoid eventual spread of the virus.
Stay home if sick: Because the signs and symptoms of Covid-19 are similar to those of other respiratory illnesses like cold or flu, it may be hard to say what you have at the initial stages. But if you or your child have 2 or more symptoms of the following then stay at home. Symptoms such as fever, running nose, cough, muscle pain, diarrhea. If there is no improvement within 24 hours, then call health links number or call your doctor's office to determine if you need to be tested.
In conclusion, let us take all necessary precautions and trust God for protection. Stay safe everyone and take good care.
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