DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN

By | Sneha Mahale

Lockdown restrictions may ease in time, but the risk of getting Covid-19 will only grow. Precautions need to be taken at all costs

The coronavirus lockdown restrictions are slowly easing in India and across the globe. You are probably counting the days until you can meet your friends, visit relatives, travel, or throw a party. But with the global confirmed cases and Covid-19 deaths rising by the day and no vaccine yet to treat the infection, there’s still a long way to go before life returns to normal. So it’s best to err on the side of caution, at least for a couple of months, once the lockdown ends.

Before going out

“The lockdown will never be lifted in the true sense of the word. The virus is here to stay and we all must understand this. You cannot escape it, but you can, to an extent, delay infection with some lifestyle changes,” says Dr Anu Vij, consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Motherhood Hospital.

What you can do

■ Avoid socialising with people outside your home for a few months. Connect on mobile and via video calls.

■ Step out of the house only if you are required to (for work/medical emergency/buying groceries).

■ Always wear a mask and carry a hand sanitiser with you.

■ Use tracking apps. Avoid going to areas where there are a large number of people affected by coronavirus.

When outside

“Just because the lockdown ended does not mean that you will not get infected. Basic precautions like using a face mask and hand sanitiser and maintaining social distancing (six feet apart) from people while in public spaces will be applicable for the next few months,” says Dr Manjusha Agarwal, consultant, Internal Medicine, Global Hospita.

What you can do

■ Avoid touching your face, adjusting the mask, and handshakes. Cover your mouth while coughing and sneezing

■ Do not visit crowded areas. Limit your exposure to others.

■ Wear clothes that cover the elbows. Press the lift button or open any door with your elbow or foot

At the workplace

If you are someone with a preexisting illness, undergoing treatment (for some other illness), having a weakened immune system or belong to the government-identified vulnerable subgroup of the population, try to work from home. “But if you are required to be in, speak to your seniors and limit time at work. Also check with your primary care physician if you are fit enough to resume work,” says Dr Prashant Mullerpatan, consultant, Oncosurgeon, Apollo Spectra Hospital.

What you can do

■ Clean your desk, keypad and mouse with sanitiser. Wait for 20 seconds and then touch.

■ Sanitise the work area every two hours.

■ Make sure that the doorknobs and other things at your workplace are disinfected.

■ Wear a mask in the office.

■ If someone is coughing or sneezing, avoid coming in contact with that person.

■ Wash your hands before eating food and after visiting the restroom.

■ Before leaving the office, sanitise the work desk and lock away personal equipment.

On returning home

“It is easy to let your guard down once you are home. But this is the time to be extra cautious since you could pass the infection to more vulnerable members of the family,” says Dr Ananya Shah, a general practitioner.

What you can do

■ Wash your hands upon return and then take off your mask.

■ Disinfect your bag, wallet, mobile phone and keys.

■ Do not reuse the mask or gloves. Dispose them.

■ Remove your clothes and dip them in hot water or 1 per cent hypochlorite solution.

■ Take a shower with soap and warm water.

■ Don’t arrange a get-together or functions for couple of weeks.

Getting a delivery

“See if the person who is delivering things is 6 feet away from you and has taken the necessary precautions (using mask or gloves),” says Dr Agarwal.

What you can do

■ Do not touch the parcel.

■ Use gloves and throw all the packaging and covers away.

■ Wash your hands, open the box and keep the contents on a presanitised surface.

■ Disinfect them before placing them in the cupboard.

■ Wash your hands or sanitise them after completion.

You have flu-like symptoms

“Not every cold, cough, or flu is the coronavirus. Seek medical attention and your doctor will look for the underlying cause,” says Dr Agarwal.

What you can do

■ Avoid coming in contact with your family members or anyone.

■ Visit the fever clinic and quarantine yourself at home for 14 days.

You are pregnant

“It is not that the virus has higher infectivity in pregnant women, but the complications and morbidity is more. So this subgroup needs to take more precautions and go out only if necessary and there is no option,” says Dr Vij.

What you can do

■ Maintain social distance at home too.

■ Avoid coming in contact with people who are sick.

■ Eat foods that strengthen

You have an illness

“Covid-19 is a respiratory disease, but when the lungs are not working in full steam, the heart has to work more to circulate blood. That is why it poses greater risk to patients with coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and previous stroke. So, prevention is the best medicine,” says Dr Bipeenchandra Bhamre, cardiothoracic surgeon, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital.

What you can do

■ Do not skip any medications.

■ Do not allow any visitors and avoid being around sick people.

■ Do not stress, try relaxation techniques such as yoga

■ Think positive, these times too shall pass.