Personal hygiene best precautionary measure against coronavirus, says expert

Feb 1, 2020

As the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the novel coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern, health authorities around the world have stepped up their monitoring and preparedness to combat the infection.

The coronavirus, which originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, has spread to at least 25 countries including the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates in the last few days.

Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has confirmed there is no case of the coronavirus in the country. The ministry reaffirmed that all necessary safety precautions and measures are in place to tackle the disease.

Ministry of Public Health reaffirmed its continuous and prompt follow-up to the epidemiological situation of the emerging coronavirus, following WHO's declaration that the virus has become a global health emergency with the emergence of cases in countries other than China. #QNA
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) January 31, 2020

While authorities continue to do their part, at an individual level, it is highly important to maintain personal hygiene.

According to Dr Patrick Tan, Division Chief of pathology Sciences at Sidra Medicine, “To avoid any respiratory infection, whether it is the common cold or the novel coronavirus, practice common measures such as washing the hands often, keeping hands away from the eyes, nose, and mouth, and staying away from people who are sick.”

Advising the public not to give in to anxiety, Dr Tan who played a prominent role in dealing with the SARS virus in 2003, said Qatar has a very low to zero risk of getting this virus.

He said the coronavirus mainly spreads via respiratory droplets and secretions from infected individuals. So it tends to pass on from infected individuals to others through direct or close contact. This could also be, contact through objects and surfaces, he mentioned.

“You should wash your hands frequently, especially after touching surfaces such as door handles, elevator buttons, and handrails. You should avoid close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms such as coughing or sneezing,” he highlighted.

Dr Tang further said that the fatality rate of this infection is between 2 to 3 percent, which is much lower than that of the SARS and MERS outbreak in the past years.

“Using the old-fashioned technique of quarantine, we were able to eliminate the SARS virus in 2003 from the human population,” he said.

However, with this new virus, he said it is significant that the epicenter of the outbreak is closely monitored.

“If China is able to contain the outbreak, it will significantly reduce the impact to the rest of the world,” he noted.

Dr Tang advised the public to keep track of the travel advisories issued by MoPH, World Health Organization and Hamad Medical Corporation’s Communicable Disease Center.

Earlier, the Ministry had also asked citizens and residents of Qatar to avoid giving in to rumors about the disease. The public is advised to follow the updates about the situation only through the Ministry’s official sources.

Ministry of Public Health said that, until the moment, no case of coronavirus infection was recorded in the State of Qatar, explaining that it took all necessary precautions and measures to monitor any suspected case at Hamad International Airport. #QNA
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) January 31, 2020