By Senior Coach Christina
Approximate Reading Time: 2-4 min
Staying healthy during the cold and flu season can be a challenge, especially with new viruses emerging. With the rising concern regarding the COVID-19 virus, the Restore Human Team wants to ensure you that we are taking extra precautions to help keep you safe, our studio clean and everyone healthy. Below we’ve laid out some information on the COVID-19 virus and what you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.
How is it spread?
COVID-19 is transmitted by one person to another in respiratory droplets.
Touching infected surfaces isn’t a major source of transmission, since the virus is most efficiently spread by respiratory droplets. Still, if the virus lands on a surface after an infected person coughs or sneezes, and another person touches that surface soon afterward and then touches their nose, mouth or eyes, there is a possibility the virus could be transmitted.
How do I keep myself safe?
Wash your hands as often as possible!
For healthy people, frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to ward off COVID-19 since that can remove any virus-containing droplets on your hands that could make it to your nose, mouth or eyes. Health officials say using soap and water should be the first choice for washing hands, since the lather created by scrubbing your hands with soap can dislodge germs effectively. Experts have recently backed away from recommending alcohol-based hand sanitizers; although they are effective in killing some germs, they can also contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are harder to treat and kill.
When coughing or sneezing: cover your mouth and nose with your arm to reduce the spread of germs and dispose of any tissues you have used as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Drink plenty of fluids, eat plenty of colourful fruit and vegetables, stay active and get plenty of sleep each night.
Keep up with immune-boosting routines. For some of us at Restore Human, we love astragalus, echinacea, zinc, Vitamin C, E and D daily, plus lots of sleep.
What are the symptoms?
Those who are infected with COVID-19 may have little to no symptoms. You may not know you have symptoms of COVID-19 because they are similar to a cold or flu.
Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to COVID-19. This is the longest known infectious period for this disease.
Symptoms have included fever and cough, and in a small percentage of cases, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.
If you become ill…
Stay at home and avoid contact with others.
Follow up by phoning your health care professional.
Coronavirus infections are diagnosed by a health care provider based on symptoms and are confirmed through laboratory tests.
Colds and flus are a part of the regular season every year, so no need to panic but let’s be proactive and keep our community healthy!
To learn more and stay informed, below is a link to the Government of Canada’s website.