COVID19NOTES.INFO. GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

YOUR GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

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1 COVID-19, the Novel Coronavirus, has hit South Africa. And everyone is anxious. As medical professionals, and your first port-of-call in managing this pandemic, we would like to be of use to you and your family and friends.  And, in so doing ,make sure that we are available to you and your community when you really need our services.

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2

COVID-19, the Coronavirus, is a respiratory viral disease. The virus is transmitted in the air (coughing) and through contact (infected surfaces; touch; being within 1 meter of a carrier for more than 15 minutes.).

FABULOUS FACTS

SARS-CoV2 is the virus; COVID19 is the disease spread by that virus spread. 100 million viral particles of the SARSCoV2, can fit on a pinhead.

Viruses act like parasites. They hijack living cells. When a cell is hijacked, the virus sends out thousands of copies of itself, often killing the cell it hijacked.

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3 SYMPTOMS

TEMPERATURE: FEVER

SORE THROAT DRY COUGH

FATIGUE

Initial symptoms are flu-like - starting with a FEVER, sore throat, and a DRY cough. Body feels tired. Short of breath Often there are NO symptoms (Asymptomatic).

Coronavirus takes between 2 and 14 days to show up after infection.

80% of infected patients recover.

For 20%, the disease progresses to the lungs and presents with a raging fever and pneumonia. At this point hospitalisation is necessary. www.covid19notes.info

4 OKAY. I GET IT. AND I THINK I'VE GOT IT (THE VIRUS)! WHAT DO I DO NOW? 1.

SIT STILL. BREATHE. Before you leap into a car, a mini-bus or an uber, before you call your doctor, clinic, the hot-line or the laboratory: Check your symptoms - again- sore throat; dry cough; body aches and FEVER. If you are positive to ALL symptoms: Remain in isolation.

2. CALL your medical practitioner: The medical team will screen you OVER THE PHONE and refer you to your local testing centre IF YOU ARE AN AT-RISK PERSON. 3. If you are symptomatic and healthy, you DO NOT NEED to visit your doctor or test. The World Health Organisation recommends rigorous self-isolation for 14 to 21 days for both sick and asymptomatic people who might have been in contact with an infected person. Please try NOT to call your doctor if you are healthy, asymptomatic and scared. Find community support - by phone, email, skype.

4. If you have breathing difficulties, you need to CALL your local doctor or clinic IMMEDIATELY. And they will go through the protocols with you. www.covid19notes.info

5 SO I WILL STOP WORRYING, STAY HOME, AND REST. BUT I HAVE SYMPTOMS. WHAT DO I TAKE? 1.

CAN I TAKE AN ANTIBIOTIC? No. Antibiotics work for colds (bacteria).

Coronavirus, like flu, is a virus.

2. NO PREVENTION? Unlike flu we still do not have a vaccine to prevent Coronavirus. And nor do we have any medicine to cure COVID-19.

3. But, if you are sore, and achey, you can take paracetamol, lots of warm liquid and vitamin C. 4. If you have diarrhoea, fever and are short of breath, let your practitioner know. Immediately

CONCERNING FACT

While we have vaccinations for the ordinary flu, we do not yet have one for COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. No drugs have yet been proven effective as a treatment for COVID-19 www.covid19notes.info

6 OKAY. SO I AM HEALTHY. I NEED TO MAKE MONEY. I AM GOING CRAZY IN ISOLATION. I WANT TO GO OUT: IT CAN'T REALLY BE DANGEROUS, RIGHT?

WRONG!!! www.covid19notes.info

7 WE ARE PLEASED YOU HAVE READ THIS FAR!

As much as we have tried to reassure you that 80% of people will be okay once they have been infected, and you might be in that group...you might infect someone who is one of the 20% "At-Risk" people.

Not only does South Africa have 7.7 million HIV/Aids positive people, we also have a high incidence of tuberculosis. Worse: Our national - and global - health infrastructure cannot cope with a run on its resources.

South Africa only has some 1 000 ventilators, which are essential in treating people with respiratory infections. .

CONCERNING FACT

South Africa's Health Minister predicted that 60% - 80% of us will become infected. As of this writing, people in Italy were dying at close to 500 people per day! The numbers are terrifying www.covid19notes.info

8 OKAY. I AM CONVINCED. REMIND ME AGAIN OF WHAT I NEED TO DO TO STAY INFECTION- & TRANSMISSION-FREE 1. Keep distances from others- more than 1m and for no more than 15 minutes 2. Wear a mask if you think you will be infecting someone 3. WASH YOUR HANDS and SANITISE 4. Do not touch hard surfaces - the virus remains live on steel and glass for 72 hours, on cardboard for less 5. Do not touch your face - that is where the virus enters your system The virus is spread on droplets - expelled during sneezing and coughing - and can hang in the air for 30 minutes, and attach to surfaces for much longer. From there you can transfer it to your face. Once it attaches to enters your system via your nose, mouth or eyes, it penetrates your cells and reproduces. www.covid19notes.info

9 GREAT! NOW WHAT? This is probably the first time in years you are home alone. Or, if you have been unemployed, this is the first time that everyone else is home alone with you - and as concerned about health and money as you are.

Now is the time to Slow Down and Reboot.

Stay Isolated. Keep Calm. And Keep Fit. And set new goals, day by day.

Read and pass on these regular Notes.

Stay in touch: Register on the national Coronavirus WhatsApp line on 0600123456.

Only rely on credible sources of information.

Start a new hobby. Learn a new skill. Teach someone something new and useful remotely.

And help those around you who need YOU to be HEALTHY. By staying isolated and doing good work for those around you, you will feel better INSTANTLY. www.covid19notes.info

10 USEFUL CONTACTS SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL CORONAVIRUS WHATSAPP LINE: 0600 123456 SOUTH AFRICAN CORONAVIRUS CALL-CENTRE (National Institute for Communicable Diseases) 0800 029 999 https://coronavirus.datafree.co/ - the free Government Coronavirus website http://www.nicd.ac.za/ https://www.who.int/healthtopics/coronavirus

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These notes are brought to you as a community service.

If you have found this pamphlet useful, kindly pass it on.

If you would like your own branded pack, Please contact us directly. To stay informed: Register at www.covid19notes.info.

If you would like to donate communications materials to communities kindly drop us a note via the website or on covid19notes@gmail.com

Keeping you, your community & stakeholders informed and secure during a time of crisis and panic.

For accessible, customised Coronavirus updates - in easy-to-digest info-bites: Â Contact us for posters, pamphlets & social media. www.covid19notes.info or covid19notes@gmail.com

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