You have taken care of the basics – you are washing your hands thoroughly with soap frequently and exercising social distancing. Nonetheless, you likely yet need some clarifications. Is your execution of these measures enough? What is the importance of keeping distance from friends and family, as well as wearing masks? Will all these measures assist in improving and reopening the economy? You are probably not sure about how the COVID-19 virus spreads. The virus is said to spread mostly from person to person. Drops released when one cough and sneezes may carry the virus if the person is infected may land in your mouth or nose if you are nearby or probably inhale them in your lungs. A COVID-19 infected person, even one showing no signs, may emit micro-droplets when talking or breathing. The micro-droplets are transmittable disease-causing particles that can glide or float around in the air even for three hours. Another person can inhale these droplets and can contract the coronavirus. That is why masks are essential when going outside – they will cover your nose and mouth. Moreover, the virus can quickly spread through contact with infected surfaces or items. For instance, one can get infected with the coronavirus by touching an object with the virus particles on it and then touching their face.
Since new infections can still occur despite the measures in place, there is a need for contact tracing to ensure the very minimum spread of COVID-19. Coming into close contact with a person who has coronavirus leaves you at a greater risk of getting infected and of possibly infecting others. Contact tracing can assist in preventing further spread of the virus by quickly locating and informing persons who may be infected and contagious to take precautions not to infect others. Contact tracing begins with finding persons that an individual newly identified with COVID-19 has made contact with since they become infectious. In the case of COVID-19, one may be infectious 48 to 72 hours before they started to identify the signs. The contacts are alerted regarding their exposure, where they are notified on what symptoms to pay attention to and advised to cut off contact for some time and get medical care as required should they start experiencing symptoms.
COVID-19 is still yet to be contained a lot of people including Texas have been advocating for the reopening of business to reduce the economic crisis amid the pandemic. However, Dennis Bonnen, the Republican House Speaker in Texas, says that those at the forefront pushing for this move don’t protect themselves in public which puts both the public’s health and the state’s delicate economy in danger. There ought to be a responsibility to keep yourself safe as it is the only way we can prevent further spread as well as contain the virus.
