Coughing and sneezing can produce droplets and aerosols as a source of transmission of Covid-19.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Cough and sneezing can produce droplet and aerosol which is the source of the Covid-19 transmission. Therefore, it is important to avoid being exposed to coughs and sneezes from people around you.
There are several things you need to do if someone near you sneezes or coughs. The first thing to do is to exhale immediately.
“Immediately exhale to avoid inhaling droplets or aerosols,” explained Professor Fredrick Sherman of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, as reported Huffington Post, Friday (25/9).
On the exhale, tighten your lips together. This method can make the exhale process take longer.
“Keep your head away from people (who are sneezing or coughing) and start walking (away),” added Professor Sherman.
This method certainly cannot fully protect a person from Covid-19. However, this method can decrease how much a person is exposed to the virus from other people coughing or sneezing nearby.
In addition, there are long-term steps that can also be taken to reduce the risk of Covid-19. One of them is to avoid activities in the room with other people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that indoor activities are more at risk of Covid-19 transmission than outdoors due to more limited ventilation and space.
Another long-term step that needs to be done is to comply with the use of masks. The use of masks is one of the ways that can provide the best protection from Covid-19 transmission. Some experts even pointed out that perl people accept that masks will become a part of everyday life.
“People also need to accept that face masks will be a part of our lives for an indefinite period of time,” said Albert Ko, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases of the Yale School of Public Health.
No less important is to maintain good hand hygiene. Hand hygiene can be maintained through washing hands with soap and water or by use hand sanitizer.
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