Potentially everyone is at risk from the potential spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Since Boomers are people, too, we are at risk. But because of the higher incidence of chronic health issues in our population, because as a group we are particularly social creatures, and because Boomers are particularly mobile for their age (apt to travel for pleasure, business, and because of family responsibilities), there are aspects of the dangers related to the coronavirus that we should be aware of.
Prevention
There is no vaccine or pharmaceutical treatment for the coronavirus. So what can Boomers do to be safe from the virus, and keep others safe as well?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure to COVID-19.
The three most important things boomers can do to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus:
1. Wash your hands
2. Wash your hands
3. Wash your hands
According to the CDC, you should wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do this
* every time you go to the bathroom,
* before you eat, and
* after you blow your nose, cough, or sneeze, and
* always wash your hands when they are visibly dirty.
If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol. Among the popular brands of hand sanitizers of this type are: Purell, EO, Honest, Dr. Bronner's, Aesop Resurrection, and Babyganics (see https://www.allure.com/gallery/best-hand- sanitizer for details).
For more info go to the CDC's Handwashing website.
Other actions we should take:
- Avoid close contact with sick people
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth!
REALLY? - you want people our age to contradict unconscious
habitual touching of our faces????
REALLY? - it's probably not going to happen very well, but you do
need to try!
REALLY!!
- Stay home when you are sick - yes! that means you!! - Cover your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough and then throw the tissue
away!!
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that get touched using regular household
products.
You don't need special industrial strength cleansers, just use
what you normally have around the house -- the keyword here
is "use"
It's the Hands!
Most of the suggestions about avoiding the coronavirus have to do with the fact that the disease is primarily passed by hand contact -- from hand to hand, from hand to object/surface to hand, from your hand to your eyes mouth or nose.
What about facemasks?
If you do not have the virus, the CDC does NOT recommend that you wear a facemask. You are more likely to get the virus from touching your eyes, not breathing the air.
WHO SHOULD WEAR FACEMASKS? - persons with the virus
- healthcare workers
- people caring for someone in close
settings
Travel and the coronavirus
In another blog, I will go into detail about travel and the coronavirus. However, I will leave you with a general link for Traveler's Health from the CDC and a specific warning about Novel Coronavirus in China.
For more information from the CDC about how to react to the coronavirus threat, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html