As health authorities in the country continue to implement the highest level of monitoring, detection, and management procedures to combat coronavirus, the public has been advised to follow certain measures to safeguard their health.

This includes washing your hands often, using hand sanitizers, and keeping a distance of at least one meter (3 feet) from people who have symptoms of illness.

Soap and water are certainly the best method for cleaning hands. However, you also need  hand sanitizers when you are outside. Wearing watches, rings, bangles, bracelets could affect the process.

Professor Mark Wilcox, a microbiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The NHS infection prevention and control rules regarding hand jewelry say that wrist items of any description should be removed. You cannot successfully clean your wrists, which from a hand hygiene perspective are part of your hands, while wearing anything thereon. A simple wedding ring or band is allowed, partly through pragmatism, but "fancy" or jeweled rings are not," added Professor Wilcox.

Professor of Molecular Virology, Nottingham University, Jonathan Ball said: "Thorough hand washing or liberal and correct application of sanitizers gels would always be advisable and that certainly means ensuring that hidden nooks and crannies are cleaned, especially under rings on fingers and the like. It's unclear how much surface contamination can be picked up on a watch.”

"These viruses don't live on your skin like lots of bacteria do, they are simple passengers moving from surface to hand then onto your eyes, nose or mouth. "Provided that you keep any surface that is likely to have been in contact with a contaminated surface then you should be fine, but obviously the more thorough your cleaning ritual is, the better," Professor Ball explained.

It is advised to keep the nails short as long or artificial nails can collect bacteria, viruses, dirt, and debris underneath them. One should totally avoid biting nails.

Pay special attention to hand hygiene. Wash your hands:

Wash your hands: 

• after coughing or sneezing;
• before during, and after preparing food;
• before eating;
• after using the restroom
• when caring for patients
• when your hands are dirty
• after handling animals

For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself. 

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Source: The Peninsula