14 Ways to Protect Yourself Against the Coronavirus

The Coronavirus is one of the most commonly searched terms for the year 2020 so far: An outbreak starting in Wuhan, China has rendered thousands infected with a new variety of coronavirus and thousands more in danger – and the virus has already been documented in many other parts of the world, including in Europe and the United States. 

The symptoms of a Coronavirus infection can be similar to that of a flu infection, but from there the symptoms and consequences can be much more severe to fatal. 

If you suspect that you might have picked up a Coronavirus infection, the right thing to do is to get tested for the Coronavirus immediately: Get diagnosed, get treated. It’s the only way to make sure that the virus doesn’t worsen your symptoms and the rest of the epidemic doesn’t have a chance to spread any further. 

In the meantime, do what you can to protect yourself against coming into contact with the Coronavirus – especially if you are in a high-risk area (or area that has already been flagged as positive for Coronavirus infections), if you have a compromised immune system or if you are a frequent traveler (or have recently been to an area that’s now flagged). 

Here are 14 ways to protect yourself against coming into contact with the Coronavirus.

1. Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is one of the most important items that you can carry with you in the midst of any kind of outbreak, especially if the virus or bacteria in question is spread through contact with bodily fluids like spit, or spread through coughing, sneezing and close contact. Imagine that everything you touch transfers to your hands – and then spreads from there: That’s exactly how it works, and it illustrates how conditions like the Coronavirus and the common flu has a chance to spread so far and so quickly.

Use hand sanitizer in the home, use hand sanitizer outside of the home and use hand sanitizer before and after touching anything – especially if you are in a public and crowded space where a lot of people have come and gone. 

The simple use of regular hand sanitizer everywhere you go can mean that you are less likely to contract infections like the common flu and more serious infections such as the Coronavirus.