The global pandemic caused by the novel corona virus has been a life-changing one. Everyone has had to make adjustments to their everyday lives just to cope. Our work and schooling lives have been flipped around and so have our family lives as well. You can’t avoid the family you live with but you can take some preventive measures to ensure that everyone is safe.

The corona virus spreads through person-to-person contact. So if an infected person sneezes or coughs and uses their hand to cover their nose or mouth, the virus would have been transferred to their hands. Anything that person touches leaves traces of the virus. So when someone comes along and uses the same cup (for example) that the infected person used or touches the contaminated hand directly, that person becomes infected.

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The virus spreads very fast so it is important to have these 5 items within your home to keep your whole family safe.

1. Sanitiser

An alcohol-based hand sanitiser is a common way to kill the micro-organisms that may be clinging to your hand or any part of your body. Have a hand sanitiser for every member of the family and let them use it frequently. Use it when you return from town and even when you use the restroom. Sanitise your hands before touching commonly used items like plates, mugs, door handles etc.

2. Soap

Any type of soap has the ability to dismantle the corona virus particles that may be attached to you. Soap has proven to be the most effective way of dealing with the virus and keeping safe. Have veronica buckets stationed outside your home so that anyone entering will be required to wash their hands with soap under fresh running water before entering the house.

3. Running Water

Having free-flowing running water is a must as studies have shown that viruses are dissolved and detach themselves from the body when washed with soap under running water for at least 20 seconds. You could time yourself by singing the first part of Ghana’s national anthem while you are washing just to be sure that you have washed your hands properly. Do not use basins that have stagnant water. Always use running water.

4. Thermometer

A symptom of the corona virus is a high fever. Luckily, we can easily measure our temperature with a thermometer. It is advised to use a thermometer gun to avoid contact with each other during the reading of temperatures. The normal temperature within a healthy human being is 37 degrees celsius. Anything higher should be treated with care and possibly quarantined to prevent infecting the rest of the family. 

5. Facemask

A face mask is mainly to be worn by people who have the virus to help avoid spreading it to others. However, a healthy person can also wear the mask to help prevent them from touching their mouth and nose directly. The mask should cover your mouth and nose and should be disposed of after use.

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We can prevent the spread of the virus when we educate ourselves and put these measures in place. Together, we can help stop the spread and save lives. You can get global updates on the corona virus on the WHO website. The Ghana Health Services website is a trusted source of information concerning updates on the corona virus in Ghana. Remember, keep the distance and stay safe.