How to Help Flatten the Curve

COVID-19 infected Patient-zero on December 31st, 2019. Since then, over twenty five-million individuals have contracted the virus and more than 875,000 people have died from it. According to the New York Times, up to 214 million people in the US alone could get coronavirus if we don't take precautions. So how can we stop this menacing pandemic?

First of all, everybody needs to take part in helping to flatten the curve. If only a few people join in the effort to stop this virus, the effect will be nigh unnoticeable.

Social Distancing

Most of us know about social distancing. That's why almost all non-essential businesses have closed down, people don't go to work, or in my case, don't go to school anymore. But despite all of these places being off-limits, I still see dozens of people playing soccer in the park across my house or walking outdoors without masks. The purpose of these places being shut down is so we can stay at home to minimize contact with others who potentially carry the virus and can infect us. It may be boring to stay indoors every day, but minimize how much you go outside, and make sure that the places you go to are appropriate in such circumstances. I still go outside, but whenever I do, I'm in my backyard and wearing a mask ... which brings me to my second point.

Masks

Wear masks. And make sure the masks you wear are effective, Understand the difference between a homemade face mask, a surgical mask, and the N-95 mask.

- While a homemade face mask is better than nothing, don't let that provide you with a false sense of security. Studies show that homemade face masks that are constructed out of cloth or old cloths are 50 times less effective than an N-95 mask, and are half as effective as a surgical mask. If you don't have a surgical or an N-95 mask, strengthen your homemade mask with several layers of cloth or tissue paper.

- Surgical masks, which many people deem as an appropriate shielder against the virus, is not very effective. They can only protect against larger droplets, and do very little to filter out smaller water particles that also contain the virus. The air leakage that occurs through the sides of a surgical mask also allows the virus to enter the body through inhalation. People who should wear surgical masks are the ones who have the virus; there is a lining that prevents the majority of saliva droplets from being expelled. However, if you don't have N-95 masks, surgical masks are your best bet.

- N95 masks are the most effective. They filter out 95% of small saliva particles. However, don't hoard these masks. They have become increasingly expensive, and because of their effectiveness, they should be reserved for healthcare workers. If you do have them in the back of the closet though, they are an effective mask that you should wear when going outside.

Cleanliness

The third point ... make sure your hands are clean. In fact, just make sure you are overall quite clean.- Wash your hands with warm water and soap. Rub your hands together to create a rich lather that covers the entire hand. Make sure to get the thumbs, spaces in-between the fingers, and under the fingernails. Dirt and other substances could be trapped in there.- If you don't already have some hand sanitizer available, try your best to buy some. Cleaning materials aren't exactly the easiest things to get in the middle of such a pandemic, but there could be something on the shelves. When buying hand sanitizer, make sure to buy one that contains alcohol. Because viruses are not living organisms, they cannot be "killed" by the products inside alcohol-free sanitizers.- Avoid touching your face. More specifically, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

The inevitable few will stay contract coronavirus, but if we all follow these points, then the rate of infection will go down considerably. But even though we are in such a hard time, don't forget to live a little and laugh every once in a while.

Takeaway

- Practice Social Distancing! Stay 6 feet away from other people indoors and try your best to stay up to 10 meters away from others in the open. Wind can carry the virus a considerable distance!

- Wear a mask and understand the effectiveness of different types of masks.

- Make sure your hands are clean. Wash your hands with warm water and soap. If such an option is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Remember, viruses are not "alive" so they cannot be killed by non-alcohol based sanitizers.

Stay calm! This pandemic will pass. But to do so, everybody must do their part. Be it doctors or politicians, food-delivery or the average citizen! There may be considerable things going on right now, but remember, if we all do our part, things will get better, faster. After all, a little from everybody goes a long way.