The words on everyone’s lips these days are Coronavirus. What started as a mystery virus in Wuhan, China in December has now spread to many countries around the world like USA and Thailand and has claimed many lives in China.
On 31 January 2020 the WHO (World Health Organisation) declared coronavirus a global health emergency.
Although seafarers are a small community onboard the ship proper care still need to be taken to guard against the virus. Here are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself from the coronavirus.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to lather the back of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails too.
- Avoid contact with anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness like coughing or sneezing.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the bin immediately and wash your hands.
- Disinfect your working area and house regularly
- Avoid eating live/raw meats, especially for people with underlying medical conditions
Should you develop symptoms like cough, sore throat, runny nose or fever, put on a surgical mask and see the doctor immediately. Let’ all do our part to stop the spread of this coronavirus.