As the UK progresses further into lockdown, people around the country are looking for ways to protect themselves and their loved ones from the potentially deadly coronavirus.
Maintaining a healthy immune system is incredibly essential, although sometimes it is necessary to head out into public, meaning you must wear protective equipment to shield yourself from contracting the virus from others, wearing a KN95 face mask, N95 face mask, disposable gloves, and when the gloves are off, regularly washing or using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Don’t stop taking your regular medications
If you are currently taking any prescribed medication for underlying health conditions then it is imperative that you keep taking them unless advised otherwise by a healthcare professional. Never act on your own medical advice and always seek out information on your symptoms and condition from a doctor.
Don’t smoke - We all know you shouldn't anyway
As COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, it mainly attacks the lungs, causing shortness of breath and potentially full-blown pneumonia. Those with reduced lung capacity, such as smokers or those who suffer from asthma are at higher risk than the rest of the population.
So it would be seriously advised to stop smoking during this time, as you would not want to increase your chances of having further complications if you were to contract the coronavirus.
Don’t wear multiple masks at once
The main purpose of wearing a respiratory mask is to reduce the spread of the coronavirus through the respiratory droplets that circulate after one cough or sneezes. However, you should only wear one at a time as this has been proven to be ineffective, as well as reducing the number of masks for others, who may not even be able to get a hold of one, as the production of PPE around the world has tremendously depleted.
If you do not already have a face mask, I advise you to pick up one of our FFP2 masks, which are approved by the WHO in this instance of the coronavirus, as well as other viruses such as SARS and MERS in the past.
Don’t try taking antibiotics
It is a grave misconception that antibiotics can cure all illnesses. Antibiotics have absolutely no effect on viruses, such as COVID-19, which means that the human body relies heavily on the strength of the immune system to fight this disease. Taking antibiotics will not improve your symptoms, and would be a waste for someone else who might desperately need them.
Don’t panic - Stay positive
Panic buying is completely unnecessary. The world is not running out of supplies of toilet paper nor pasta, with estimations that the UK public has stockpiled over 2 billion pounds worth of food. Most of this food will pass its sell-by date before it can even be eaten, which means panic buying only proves to be wasteful and inconsiderate. Only buy what you need, as this is a time to support others.
Don’t ignore government advice
The UK government provides daily updates on the progress, and status of the lockdown and any restrictions being put in to place. Flouting lockdown rules not only means the death of many more people but also a risk to your own safety and wellbeing.
Lockdown is not easy, and the entire world has ground to a halt because of it. With summer approaching, it is imperative that we follow strict social distancing rules, and only leave the house for the four essential reasons stated by the government.
