SHAKING hands and cheek kissing (beso-beso) have been included among the acts that the Department of Health (DOH) is discouraging amid the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China.
“Avoid shaking of hands this time. Sometimes, at the most, siguro (you can do a) fist bump. Avoid beso-beso. Please, tigilan na muna. Or gusto nyo, finger to finger na lang para talaga least contact point. Or, that’s the best, (just say) ‘hello’,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a press briefing at Malacañang Monday, January 27.
He also called on the media and the public to avoid an infodemic, or the spread of false information about the virus.
“Let’s not be used by unscrupulous groups whose agenda is to propagate an infodemic, or the spread of false and baseless pieces of information. Let’s not be party to such a propagation because, otherwise, this misinformation can be more viral than the virus that we all are guarding against,” Duque said.
He reiterated the need for frequent hand washing, which takes only about 20 seconds.
“Wash your hands properly, which means (wash) the palm of the hands, the back of the hands, and the digits,” he said as he demonstrated the proper hand washing technique with soap and water.
Persons with cough should practice “proper coughing etiquette”, he said.
“Maintain distance and cover coughs and sneezes with tissue or the crook of your elbow,” he added.
Those with flu-like symptoms are advised to just stay at home, especially if they are feverish, so as not to spread the virus. If they have to go out, they should wear an N-95 or surgical mask.
Other reminders to the public:
Avoid unprotected contact with wildlife and farm animals.
Avoid symptomatic individuals.
Drink a lot of water.
Cook food thoroughly.
Consult a doctor immediately when experiencing symptoms.
There is no treatment yet for the 2019-nCoV although a vaccine is being developed. But Duque said it would take months or years before this vaccine would be made available to the public.
The 2019-nCoV has killed 56 people in China as of Sunday, January 26, 2020. More than 2,000 cases have been reported, mostly in China but also in neighboring countries and even in France.
This new strain has a lower fatality rate of 2.7 percent compared to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars-CoV), which had fatality rates of 34-36 percent and 10-12 percent, Duque said.
The common signs of coronavirus infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulty. In severe cases, it can cause pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)