9 Furthermore, a New York Times model for the USA has suggested that aggressive social distancing measures could reduce COVID-19 cases from a possible peak of 9 million to 513000 and cumulative deaths from 982000 to 51000 over the next few months. 8 A recent modelling study has predicted that if social distancing measures were implemented one week, two weeks and three weeks earlier in China, it could have reduced the number of new cases by 66%, 86%, and 95%, respectively. As a result, with the goal of flattening the curve, the Chinese health authorities have implemented non-pharmacological measures such as social distancing, which showed a significant impact in limiting the spread. 7 Unfortunately, in China, social distancing measures were not in place until it was too late as a result, hospitals were filled to capacity, and a rapid transmission was observed, which had led to a steep spike in newer infections. Social distancing is a sage practice and an obvious action to be followed during outbreaks for preventing the spread of disease by confining the interaction of individuals and groups. 6 Furthermore, in many countries, efforts are in place to demonstrate proper handwashing and mask usage techniques. Several cities and states across the world are currently short of hand sanitizers and face masks, which shows the public’s interest in acquiring the universal precautions to a remarkable extent. 5 Governments and other organizations have succeeded in promoting the universal safety precautions such as washing hands, covering nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing, use of sanitizers, use of face masks, avoiding contact of fingers with mouth, nose and eyes, and social distancing techniques to a remarkable extent. Practicing good hygienic measures in hospitals, schools and other public places, could drastically reduce the spread and thereby eliminate new cases. Fear of the public for COVID-19 has significantly contributed towards maintaining the personal hygiene of the individuals. Washing hands is the first line of defence against viruses such as coronavirus. 4ĬOVID-19 and Universal Safety Precautions 3 Alongside public health agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that are working around the clock to coordinate and assist the public to the rapidly changing situations, the public is also collectively learning how to better grapple with this pandemic, and there are essential practices, that emerged among and acquired by the public. It also requires long-term planning and a willingness to invest in health care, and thus the circumstances of COVID-19 have shown how far we lack and how much we still must do in this regard. 2 Responsive and robust health care systems are needed in preventing any diseases, especially outbreaks such as COVID-19, at a population level. As of 22 March 2020, a total of 308720 cases and 13071 deaths have been reported globally, affecting around 151 countries. 1 A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified and reported in the province of Hubei, China in December 2019. Coronaviruses are zoonotic pathogens with positive-stranded RNA and belong to the family Coronaviridae.
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