Page 76 - Poultry-Punch April 2020 edition

POULTRY PUNCH ARTICLE

Preventive Measures to be Followed

In severe cases, pneumonia in both the lungs is also seen (WHO doctor may recommend lab tests (such as sputum and/or throat
was alerted following severe cases of pneumonia in Wuhan which swab) to detect the virus and know if the symptoms are due to
lead to the identification of the novel corona virus), which can influenza virus, corona virus or other respiratory viruses. If you
eventually prove fatal. The symptoms are mostly similar to flu and have a sore throat, it’s more likely a cold than flu or coronavirus,
flu-like diseases caused by other respiratory viruses. in general.

Preventive Measures to be Followed Treatment and Vaccination
l Avoid close contact with people who are sick. As of 17th March 2020, there is no specific medicine
l Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. recommended to prevent or treat the virus. The treatment in people
l Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. infected with the coronavirus is aimed at relieving the symptoms
l If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand and providing supportive care to the patient. Also, antibiotics work
sanitizer. only against bacteria and not against viruses. As COVID-19 is a viral
l Stay at home and take sufficient rest infection, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention
l Cover your mouth with tissue when you sneeze or cough or treatment till there is secondary infection. There is currently no
l Sneeze into your elbow if you don’t have access to tissue/ vaccine to protect against COVID-19*.
handkerchief
l Discard used tissues in a bin Can a person infected with coronavirus recover
l Disinfect objects/surfaces you touch completely and be no more infectious?
l Seek medical attention in case of fever, cough or difficulty in Yes, in fact, about 80% of people have recovered from the disease
breathing. without needing special treatment.
How do you differentiate between normal flu and Age susceptibility
coronavirus symptoms? There are reports of neonates, teenagers, young adults and
If someone comes with a respiratory disease, it is very difficult older people falling prey to the new coronavirus in China. So, it
to distinguish between flu and coronavirus by just looking at the goes without saying that people of all ages can be infected by the
symptoms. This is the reason that makes diagnosis important. Your novel coronavirus. However, older people & those with pre-existing

76 April, 2020