Wash hands to fight coronavirus

No case of  the coronavirus has been reported in Ghana so far but health experts advise precaution to prevent any.

They recommend, among others, the frequent washing of  hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, the viruses cause respiratory infections which are usually mild including the common cold.

In severe cases, it could lead to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), kidney failure or death.

Prevention
There are currently no vaccines available to protect against human coronavirus infection. However, transmission of the virus is reduced through:

• Covering nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or flexed elbow.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick or have cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Cooking meat and eggs thoroughly.
• Avoiding unprotected contact with live wild or farm animals.
• Practice food safety by using different chopping boards and knives for raw meat and other foods and wash your hands in between handling raw and cooked food.

Health experts advise that if you are mildly sick, keep yourself hydrated, stay at home and rest.
Additionally, if you are concerned about your symptoms, it is important that you see a healthcare provider.

About the virus
The deadly virus, known as coronavirus, has put many people around the world on edge. The virus was first identified in Chinese city of Wuhan and has claimed at least 362 lives as of Monday, February 3, 2020 (according to CNN). The new coronavirus has been named novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). It is the seventh coronavirus known to affect humans.

The World Health Organisation has declared the new coronavirus a global emergency and says the "whole world needs to be on alert" to fight the coronavirus.

The virus has spread to 25 other countries and territories and infected more than 17,300 globally.

How it spreads
Human coronaviruses, commonly, spread from an infected person to others through:

• The air by coughing and sneezing.
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.

In rare cases, it could be through faecal contamination.

Symptoms
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Difficulty in breathing
• Feeling of being unwell