We may not be locked in but Corona is not locked out!

How To Stay Safe From COVID-19 After Lockdown

We have been living with the COVID 19 pandemic for so long it has become a part of life!

Now that we are in a state of progressive unlocking, and the safety restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the disease being gradually lifted, it is easy to presume that the danger is over and that the need to continue with precautions is a thing of the past.

This kind of complacency is one of the primereasons for the continued spread of COVID 19 in India – as of end of August, India has had 3.69 million cases of the disease and over 65,000 deaths. The daily increase in the number of cases has grown from 26 new cases a day on March 15, when tracking of the disease began, to over 78,500 a day by August 25^th.

The daily number of infections is rising; the curve is not flat, but climbing.In Tamil Nadu alone, there have been 422,000 cases and over 7,000 deaths. These numbers show that instead of complacency, the need today is to renew our efforts to stay safe by continuing with all the precautions that we have been learned to follow.

Simple Steps

• The first and key protection measure is social distancing. Keep a distance of 2 meters (6 feet) between yourself and others when you are outside your home. This can be difficult in public places like markets, places of worship, etc. While public places will have the restrictions on contact in force, not everyone can be relied upon to follow the rules. It is up to you to stay alert and ensure that you keep your distance from others.
• Wearing a mask is something we have all become used to. The problem is that because we take it for granted and tend to be careless about it. Wearing it may be uncomfortable but pulling it below your nose defeats the purpose of the mask –the virus can enter through your uncovered nostrils. Pulling the mask down below your chin or taking it off when you receive a phone call leaves you exposed and unprotected. It takesonly a second to come into contact with the virus. The same applies to making a phone call – do not do it unless there is an emergency. Wait till you get home.Always keep the mask properly in place.

• With unlocking comes the increased trend to travel. Public transport of any kind means being near a large number of people. Avoid travel unless essential and when you must go out, ensure that you follow not just the mandated safety measures, but also anything else that could keep you safe, such as the use of sanitizers, wearing a protective face shield and so on.
• Washing hands for a few seconds after returning home is not enough. You have to wash, with adequate soap and water, for at least 20 seconds to be sure of removing the virus. Carrying a small bottle of sanitizer with you and using it on your hands regularly while outside the house is important.

COVID 19 has not been defeated. Vaccines are under development and some may be released this or early next year. However, how effective they would be shall be known only when the ongoing research trials are completed and reported upon. It may bea long time before we have an effective shield against this disease.

Staying safe is not difficult. All one needs to do is to take a few simple precautions and follow some basic lifestyle modifications. We all know what to do. Ignoring the risks may bring COVID 19 into our homes and of others we encounter. The result will be untold misery for a large number of people.

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Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801