Protection against Coronavirus
The coronavirus (now named COVID-19) is spreading quickly and as such, many countries and cities are experiencing a mass shortage of medical face masks.
And while everyone rushes to buy themselves a hygiene face mask, many are left questioning; do they actually work?
How effective are face masks for preventing coronavirus?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided some guidance on how best to prevent the spread of coronavirus and one of their recommendations is to wear a face mask. This is because the coronavirus is spread through coughing and sneezing.
When you cough or sneeze, tiny droplets of saliva and mucus are released into the air and if a person has coronavirus, the virus could be contained within these droplets.
If these droplets are then inhaled by another person (or land on a surface that is touched and then inhaled by another person) then they too could catch the virus.
This is why wearing a face mask can contribute to protecting yourself from COVID-19. The masks create a shield from any infected droplets and protect your respiratory system to varying degrees. The level of protection provided will depend on the mask type that you have.
To purchase one of our face masks click here.
Why is coronavirus spreading so quickly?
The Wuhan coronavirus is spread through coughing and sneezing, where infected droplets are passed from one person to another. But since we know that, surely we’d be able to prevent the spread?
Well, most viruses and diseases have something known as an incubation period. This is the time it takes from contracting the virus, to displaying symptoms. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has an incubation period of 2-14 days, which means that a person could have the virus but no symptoms, for 14 days.
During this time, that person could be passing on the virus without even realising they have it, hence why it’s spreading so quickly.
How else can I protect myself from coronavirus?
As well as wearing a face mask, it’s important to follow the best hygiene practises in order to best prevent the disease from spreading. This means washing your hands regularly, coughing or sneezing into a tissue (and then throwing it in the bin) and self-isolating if you experience symptoms (or have recently returned from an affected area).
Coronavirus, as the name suggests, is a virus, which means that antibiotics are not a treatment option. Generally speaking, you have to let most viruses run their course while your body fights them. So it’s important to keep your immune system strong, which you can do with some immune support vitamins.
With the current global health pandemic, everyone is looking to up their personal hygiene and protect themselves as best they can. A product that is flying off the shelves is hand sanitiser, as people try to kill germs when they’re not able to wash their hands.
Do hand sanitisers work?
Hand sanitisers work to kill the majority of germs on the hands and are extremely efficient at eliminating bacteria. In order for a hand sanitiser to be effective, it must contain at least 60% alcohol content though, as lower than this will not contain the necessary cleaning properties.
It’s important to bear in mind that hand sanitisers do not kill all germs though. While they quickly reduce the number of microbes on the hands, they are not able to eliminate all of them, which is why other hygiene practises are important, even when using a hand sanitiser. This includes regular hand washing and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
The clue is in the name when it comes to hand sanitiser; they are designed to sanitise, not wash. If your hands are visibly dirty or greasy then they may not work as well, as they work on bacteria and not dirt. It’s important to use hand sanitiser in conjunction with regular hand washing to eliminate dirt as well as germs.
How to use hand sanitiser
Make sure that your hand sanitiser contains at least 60% alcohol content. There are also some effective alcohol-free hand sanitisers, but these are less common.
If you are in a situation where you’re unable to wash your hands but may have come into contact with bacteria or germs then apply enough gel to cover both hands completely (front and back) and rub in until it disappears. This usually takes about 20 seconds.
Frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitiser can leave the skin on your hands feeling dry so you may wish to apply a hand cream to nourish and moisturise the skin.
To purchase one of our hand sanitisers click here.
How to wash your hands efficiently
For times when soap and water are available, you should still opt for this overhand sanitiser, as it removes any grime or dirt as well as bacteria. To wash your hands efficiently, it’s important to make sure you wash them for long enough (20-30 seconds is the normal recommendation).
Make sure to wash the places you may forget, including in between the fingers, the knuckles and the wrists. You should also scrub behind the nails as germs can easily build up here. For this reason, it’s also best to keep nails neat and trimmed.