The Coronavirus: Facts, Figures & How To Stay Safe

Coronavirus doesn't need any introduction. Almost everyone on the planet has heard about it by now, so we thought it would be great to put together a list of do's and don'ts regarding Coronavirus to help raise more awareness about it.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, a US agency), the countries shown in this image have already reported cases of COVID 19 infection.

Image Courtesy: The CDC (as of  22 March 2020)

Coronavirus in India (Updated 22 March 2020)

The number of confirmed cases in India is 475 so far (as of 22 March 2020). The number of deaths stands at 7 and 23 people have been cured and discharged so far.

Screening of passengers at airports continues with 15,17,327 passengers having been screened so far.

The IRDA has also instructed all health insurance providers to cover COVID-19 treatments in the policy irrespective of the type of policy it is.

The MOHFW has also issued a self-declaration form for anyone coming to India from a country affected by the Coronavirus. They will have to fill out the form and also undergo preliminary screen if they are not well. The government of India has set up helplines that you can use (ref below). It has also curbed the export of essential drugs and medical supplies to ensure there is no shortage in case the situation escalates.

Coronavirus Infection Rate in India

This is a state/region wise breakup of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India as of 22 March 2020*.

State	Indian Nationals	Foreign Nationals	Total Deaths	Cured
Kerala	60	7	0	3
Haryana	7	14	0	0
Maharashtra	64	3	2	0
Uttar Pradesh	27	1	0	9
Delhi	28	1	1	5
Karnataka	26	0	1	2
Union Territory of Ladakh	13	0	0	0
Rajasthan	25	2	0	3
Tamil Nadu	7	2	0	1
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir	4	0	0	0
Telengana	15	11	0	1
Punjab	21	0	0	1
Uttarakhand	3	0	0	0
Andhra Pradesh	5	0	0	0
West Bengal	7	0	0	0
Odisha	2	0	0	0
Chhattisgarh	1	0	0	0
Gujrat	18	0	0	1
Puducherry	1	0	0	0
Union Territory of Chandigarh	5	0	0	0
Bihar	2	0	0	1

*All data is from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's website

Coronavirus Helpline and Email

In case you have any doubts, queries or concerns regarding Coronavirus, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) in India has set up a helpline with contact details as mentioned below: Email: ncov2019@gmail.com Phone: +91-11-23978046

Symptoms of the Coronavirus

Before you diagnose yourself, or anyone else, who may be suffering from the Coronavirus, you need to know the symptoms of this infection. There are 3 key symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Breathlessness

If you are experiencing all of these symptoms, then visit your doctor at once to seek medical advice! It is also important to know that these symptoms may show up 3 days to 2 weeks after the exposure.

How the virus spreads

COVID 19 or the Coronavirus is infectious, and you may get infected if you don't take due care. From what is known so far, the disease can spread through contact with other people who may have this infection already. It can also spread through contact with infected surfaces like tables, poles, railings, etc.

How to stay safe

Whether you are at your office, at a school or in a shopping market, there are few simple things you can do to help prevent the Coronavirus from infecting you.

• Wash your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds
• Wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom or sneezing/coughing
• Don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
• Keep your surroundings clean and especially those surfaces that you touch quite often
• Avoid public areas or places that may be crowded
• Avoid close contact with too many people
• If you are sick, stay at home
• Carry hand sanitizers which are 60% alcohol or more
• If you are not well then wear a mask and don't go to the office or other public areas

How to stay safe at home

• Make sure that your house is clean at all times
• Surfaces like tables, chairs, utensils, countertops etc. should be disinfected regularly
• Ensure the surroundings are also clean
• Have your family members follow prevention guidelines diligently
• Post the instructions in a prominent place in your house
• Identify the nearest medical facilities and keep their number handy
• Keep your family doctors informed of any illnesses in the family

How to stay safe in school

• Ensure that your child carries a hand sanitizer
• Don't send your kids to school if they are not well
• Make sure they know how to maintain proper hand hygiene and avoid touching their faces too often without washing their hands
• Discourage socialising in large groups if not needed
• Make sure that the schools are also following prevention guidelines

How to stay safe at the office

Employers

• Be flexible on leaves for those who are sick
• Ensure the office premises are cleaned thoroughly and regularly
• Ensure any company contracting for you is also following prevention guidelines
• Educate employees on prevention guidelines like washing hands and being hygienic
• Provide necessary equipment and accessories for employees to maintain personal hygiene

Employees

• If you are sick, stay at home
• Avoid large gatherings
• Make sure you wash your hands regularly
• Avoid interacting closely with people who may be sick (maintain a safe distance of at least 1 m since that is how far the Coronavirus is known to travel when someone infected with it sneezes or coughs)
• Avoid handshakes or hugs as forms of greeting one another.

What not to do

The first and foremost thing to do is NOT TO PANIC! Apart from that, here are some other things you shouldn’t do.

• Do not hoard medical supplies and masks
• Limit, postpone or avoid travel to countries that have confirmed cases
• Don't believe every piece of news you get. Verify it before spreading it
• If you are not feeling well and on an aircraft, don't keep quiet and tell the crew
• If you are not well, don't try to diagnose yourself. See a doctor
• Do not fall prey to people selling unreliable cures and remedies. Double-check the authenticity of their claims

Travel advisory

Ministry of Health & Family welfare has also set forth some travel advisories. They are:

• MOHFW suggests suspending all travel to China
• It also suggests non-essential travel to the following countries be avoided
  • Singapore
  • Republic of Korea
  • Islamic Republic of Iran
  • Italy
• If you are returning from countries specified above (as on 03 March 2020), a quarantine of 14 days may be imposed by the government, once notified.

Additionally, the government has also asked all international passengers to declare their travel history to immigration officials at airports. In a more aggressive move, India has also suspended all non-essential travel to India. Disclaimer: While we have endeavoured to keep the information accurate, we cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this article, and we accept no responsibility and shall have no liability, for any loss or damage which may arise from using or relying on the information.