COVID-19 is a viral respiratory illness caused by a newly identified coronavirus that was discovered in late 2019 in China.

Common symptoms include:

  1. Fever
  2. Dry Cough
  3. Shortness of breath and
  4. Tiredness

Some people become infected without developing any symptoms.

People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.

Studies to date suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.

  1. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
  2. Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
  3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
  4. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing and seek medical attention?

You’ll need to stay at home if you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) or live with someone who does.

Staying at home means you should:

  • not go to work, school or public areas
  • not use public transport or taxis
  • not have visitors, such as friends and family, in your home
  • not go out to buy food or collect medicine – order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home

You can use your garden, if you have one. You can also leave the house to exercise – but stay at least 2 metres away from other people.

A state, period, or place of isolation in which people that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.

The “incubation period” means the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms of the disease. Most estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from 1-14 days, most commonly around five days. These estimates will be updated as more data become available.

Only wear a mask if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms (especially coughing) or looking after someone who may have COVID-19. Disposable face mask can only be used once. If you are not ill or looking after someone who is ill then you are wasting a mask. There is a world-wide shortage of masks, so WHO urges people to use masks wisely.

WHO advises rational use of medical masks to avoid unnecessary wastage of precious resources and mis-use of masks.

The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue and maintain a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who are coughing or sneezing.

While we are still learning about how COVID-2019 affects people, older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes)  appear to develop serious illness more often than others.

Economic activities and services necessary for the proper functioning of the country will continue to operate and these include:

  1. Supply of food (including Bakeries, take away and home deliveries)
  2. Food production, farming (fruits, vegetables & livestock), food processing and beverages
  3. Supermarkets and associated supply chains (including online purchase and home delivery)
  4. Freight Forwarding and other Logistic Activities
  5. Licensed Telecom Operators
  6. Petrol Stations and Cooking Gas distribution
  7. Banks, Insurance and other Financial Services
  8. Tourism
  9. Airlines
  10. Port and Airport related activities
  11. Press, Media and associated services
  12. Transport Industry including Taxis
  13. Security Guards and Watchmen

Any suspected case of COVID-19 should be immediately reported to the Ministry of Health and Wellness in line with the existing protocol.

It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).

If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.

The following measures ARE NOT effective against COVID-19 and can be harmful:

🚭Smoking
😷Wearing multiple masks
💊Taking antibiotics

In any case, if you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early to reduce the risk of developing a more severe infection.

The coronavirus CAN be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates

The coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.

Hand dryers are NOT effective in killing the coronavirus

Ultraviolet light SHOULD NOT be used for sterilization and can cause skin irritation

To date, there is NO specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the coronavirus.

Thermal scanners CAN detect if people have a fever but CANNOT detect whether or not someone has the coronavirus

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.