How do I protect my family from Covid 19?

How do I protect my family from Covid 19? 

11 March 16:35 GMT — Coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic, says WHO

This is question that’s been constantly playing in our minds these days: not just in India, but all over the world. I wish someone had an answer. 

Despite taking all precautions, we do know we are still susceptible to it.

We all are washing hands to the extent that we have ‘pruney fingers’ now. 

Hand sanitisers are our new best friend these days. Ever hang bag, every school bag, every kit and every corner of our homes and offices has it.

Face masks are being bought in such quantities that all medical stores are running out of it.

We drink more warm water than we ever did.

Even the grumpiest of teenagers are bathing twice a day (I sure hope so).

Hygiene and cleanliness level all over the world has gone up many folds, and this is really good. All these steps are must.

But is it enough?

According to me, its not..

The real answer is, Absolute Social Containment.

Some might agree with me and some might not.. I am not a doctor, so I might be wrong, but my reasoning is based on these simple things which I state below.

Corona virus spreads with contact. We have all  been reading about this. Right? It spreads from person to person in close proximity. Coughing or sneezing releases bodily fluids that get into the air or on surfaces, and coming in direct contact with another person, causes the infection to spread.

According to scientists, coughs and sneezes can travel several feet and stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes. The incubation period of the coronavirus, the length of time before symptoms appear, is between one and 14 days. Although not yet confirmed, Chinese health authorities believe the virus can be transmitted before symptoms appear. This would have major implications for containment measures, according to Gerard Krause, head of the Department for Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection.”

The above I quote from the site: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/coronavirus-spread-protect-200130115539072.html

I do believe that if we stick to being in our houses for 2 to 3 weeks, this virus will be controlled, treated, hopefully dies out and we certainly give all the scientists all over the world more time to come up with vaccinations or cure. This virus survives in the air, on clothes, on surfaces, on metal for a really long time. We don’t know who is the carrier, who has touched what surface and who is infected. Even the infected person might not know it yet. Some of us might have a better immunity than others and don’t get affected by this or heal from it real quick.. But some definitely have lower immunity. Why take a chance?

Fortunately, in this high tech world, we all can work from home. Video chats and video conferencing are really easy. I would say, make your home office and reap the benefits of the super speed wi fi connections we have. 

Some schools have also set up online classrooms.

Isn’t that awesome!

Some schools have shut down, some have spring break which will be extended and some have early summer break already starting.With kids at home and no where to go, it can be a real challenge. I have two kids, and if their energy isn’t spent appropriately, I know the havoc they can cause.

Since, my kids school has shut down, i have the sole responsibility of keeping them entertained.  Netflix and our family love for board games has come to my rescue. 

I don’t encourage screen time, but maybe it’s time to let go…. But please monitor what they watch.. My kids love watching shows like “shark Tank” and “national Geographic” and animal kingdom related shows. I watch with them. It’s informative and keeps them entertained(me too).

Our massive collection of board games has really come in handy and there is a certain chess game that has been going on for the last 18 hours (with huge number of breaks).

Also, this could be  a great bonding time, where conversations with each other are highly entertaining and enlightening. 

“This may be the first clear evidence that children are as susceptible as adults to SARS-CoV-2 infection,” says Ben Cowling, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

As I said earlier, I am no qualified professional in this field or a doctor, but a mother who wants to keep her family safe. I have always trusted my reasoning, so sharing this with you.
Please use your discretion whether you want to follow it or not!

“You don’t want to alarm people, but given the spread we see, you know, anything is possible,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Fox News on Sunday. “And that’s the reason why we’ve got to be prepared to take whatever action is appropriate to contain and mitigate the outbreak.”

Lots of love

Divya.