Practicing good hygiene and social distancing are the best ways to protect yourself from contracting the virus. Here are some tips to protect yourself from infection:
- Don't shake people's hands. Rather greet each other using your elbows.
- Use hand sanitizer frequently.
- Disinfect your home and wipe down places you touch a lot (e.g. your door handles).
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds at a time (or sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice).
- Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze/cough with a tissue or your elbow.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.
- Avoid going to public spaces that are usually crowded.
- Avoid touching people who show symptoms of the virus.
- Eat more vegetables and fruit and remember to wash them first.
- Don’t eat raw meat or eggs and always cook them well.
- Stay at home as much as you can to reduce your chances of being exposed to the virus.
If you have at least three of the known symptoms of COVID-19, please go to the nearest clinic or hospital in your area to get tested. If you meet someone with these symptoms, stay away from them and ask them to visit the clinic. Contact the national toll-free numbers below if you or anyone you know have the known symptoms:
South Africa Coronavirus Outbreak hotline: 0800 029 999
Kenya Ministry of Health: 0800 721 316 / 0732 353 535 / 0729 471 414
You can also visit https://sacoronavirus.co.za/ for up-to-date information.