Knowledge Is Power: Keep Yourself Safe From COVID-19 by Staying Informed
The World Health Organization has declared a global pandemic and many governments are shutting down all non-essential businesses to keep citizens safe. Many people are feeling fear and uncertainty, which may be exacerbated by the flood of information online and in the mainstream media. How can you protect yourself and your family from this unprecedented threat?
Here at Sackett & Associates Insurance Services, we’ve gathered information from the Center for Disease Control and other reliable sources to help you determine fact from fiction. Here are the basics you absolutely must know to stay healthy.
What Is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a coronavirus, which is a family of virus that causes respiratory distress. While we haven’t seen this strain before, we do have some experience with this particular family — Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are coronaviruses that jumped to humans in the past.
Coronaviruses are named so because of their unique protein structure; these proteins protrude from the virus and attach to cells. The word “corona” is Latin for “crown,” which these proteins resemble.
Why Is It So Dangerous?
As of March 2020, COVID-19 has a fatality rate of 3.4%. While this may seem like a small number, it quickly becomes devastating when multiplied by millions. There’s also the risk of serious complications that require hospitalization, which 20% of COVID-19 patients experience. Even when they recover, these patients often have permanent lung damage that leaves them vulnerable to future illnesses.
Another issue is how easily COVID-19 spreads. Currently, health officials advise that this coronavirus may take up to 14 days before symptoms appear and that infected patients are contagious during that time. This means people can feel perfectly fine, but shed virus through respiratory droplets.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
The CDC has issued several guidelines to help prevent infection:
Practice Social Distancing:
The best way to avoid infection is to limit contact with infected people. Social distancing means staying away from crowded places such as bars, restaurants and stores. If you must go out, maintain a minimum distance of six feet between you and others, as this is the distance respiratory droplets can travel when someone sneezes.Wash Your Hands Frequently: Handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is crucial to eliminating any virus that may be on your hands.Wipe Down Frequently Touched Surfaces:
If the virus is on your hands and you touch a surface, it may be able to survive on that surface long enough to infect someone else. To combat this, you should wipe down frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, facets and light switches at least once a day.Avoid Touching Your Face:
The virus enters your system through the eyes, nose and mouth, which is why you shouldn’t touch your face unless necessary. If you need to touch your face to put in contacts, apply skincare products or put on makeup, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly beforehand.
When your health is on the line, you need reliable insurance. At Sackett & Associates Insurance Services, we can connect you with companies that offer the coverage you need. To find out more or to request our services, give us a call at 707) 823-3689 or message us online.
