Elly Kleinman: How to Protect Yourself from the Coronavirus?

Elly Kleinman is a healthcare executive, CEO of The Americare Companies. Americare is a healthcare provider company. This company was founded back in 1982 by Kleinman. The healthcare services that Americare provides, include home health, rehabilitation, pharmacy, managed care services, nurse recruitment, both for its facilities and for other healthcare facilities throughout the United States. This company is one of the largest and most successful healthcare organizations in New York State. It has been awarded with a 5 rating for quality and clinical services delivery.

For more than a three decades Kleinman has been providing home health care to patients in need. In his company, Kleinman manages and supervises the day-to-day operations.

In this stressful time, when the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, the experienced healthcare executive, Elly Kleinman, shares some everyday measures that people in the USA can take now to protect themselves and their families.

Can you tell us more about how the coronavirus spreads?

Elly Kleinman: The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person, through respiratory droplets, produced when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or speaks. People who are in close contact, at a distance of up to about 6 feet, are at a risk to get infected. According to some recent studies, the coronavirus can be spread through people with no symptoms.

Currently, there is no vaccine which can prevent the coronavirus disease. So, the way to prevent it is to avoid exposure to this virus with social distancing.

What is social distancing about?

Elly Kleinman: Generally, social distancing means putting distance between yourself and other people and also avoiding direct contact with people who are sick. Staying home as much as possible is the best option to prevent yourself to get infected. I will also indicate once more that people without symptoms can also spread the virus. This is an important fact to remember. It is especially important that people who are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill, to keep distance from others.

Moreover, everyone should use a cloth face covering when they leave their homes, for instance, to go to the grocery store or to find other necessary products. However, the cloth face covering does not replaces social distancing measures, so it is important to jeep a distance of about 6 feet from other people.

What should we do if we don’t have a cloth face covering?

Elly Kleinman: If you do not have a cloth face covering on and you are in a private setting, you should always cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or the inside of your elbow when coughing or sneezing. Also you should remember to throw the used disposable tissues in the trash.

Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, if you don't have soap and water.

What about disinfecting our home? What do you recommend?

Elly Kleinman: The surfaces that you touch daily such as tables, door handles, light switches, counters, railings, desks, telephones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, and dishwashers, should be cleaned and disinfected daily. If the surfaces are dirty, clean them with soap and water and detergent before disinfecting them. Then use a household disinfectant.