Personal hygiene

We are living in very trying times indeed, what with the Wuhan coronavirus infections spiralling out of control. The most worrying point is that this is an invisible enemy. Some of my friends say a faceless enemy. But no matter what we would like to describe it, the virus is in our midst and the infected woman in Sungai Petani means that the virus is not very far from Penang. Who knows how much transmission and damage have already been done in the past few days while the lady's family members were moving around without caution?

Some say the best way to avoid infection is to wear a face mask in public so that other people's cough droplets do not get into your system. But my belief is that boosting up the immune system with Vitamins C and D and maintaining good personal hygiene are equally important. For example, I saw a Bloomberg story today that stressed on hand hygiene when flying. But the advice is equally applicable in our daily applications too. Let me quote from this Bloomberg story:

Hand hygiene. Contrary to what people think, the hands are the way that these viruses most efficiently spread. Top of the list is frequent hand washing, hand sanitising, or both. Avoid touching your face. If you cough or sneeze, it’s important to cover your face with a sleeve. Better yet, a tissue to be disposed of carefully, and then sanitising the hands afterward. Washing your hands and drying them is the best procedure. When that’s not easy to do, alcohol-based sanitiser is a good second-best.

Today too, I saw a notice advising people to take the highest precaution and in addition to wearing face masks in public areas, consciously to practice:

• washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing;
• using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 70% alcohol content if soap and water are not readily available;
• avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
• avoiding close contact with people who are sick;
• staying home when you are sick;
• covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throwing the tissue away in the trash;
• cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched objected and surfaces using a regular household cleansing spray or wipe.