Here are the actions you can take: 

 

1. Limit leaving home: Stay home during the coronavirus pandemic is the most effective means of prevention.

• It reduces your chance of infection and quickly contains the disease’s spread. A recent study in Science found, for example, that this kind of distancing is even better than widespread travel bans or restrictions. Source: China’s travel lockdown sharply slowed the global spread of Covid-19

• However, being outdoors, in fresh air exposed to UV light, is healthy. We encourage Pakistanis to continue executing the functional things that need to be done with the right precautions in place - cities and societies need to run undeterred. We just need to avoid crowds and groups to stop the spread of the disease.   

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2. Maintain Healthy Lifestyle: Keep your immune system strong by actively exercising, eating a good diet with supplements, sleeping 8 hours and maintaining a positive mental and emotional health.

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What to do when traveling 

 

 

1. Stagger Commute times: If you can’t drive or walk where you need to go, consider commuting by public transit during off-peak hours. Spreading out commute times, even by a small amount, can help reduce transmission risk from overcrowded subways and buses. 

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2. Avoid surfaces: While in transit, avoid touching poles and handles. Some recent research in a pre-print paper suggests that the virus can survive on hard surfaces for up to three days, although there is still no evidence that it is transmitted in this way. You can also wear gloves or create other makeshift barriers to stay protected, but they should be removed as soon as you are back indoors.

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3. Stay six feet away from people (as much as possible): The six-feet rule might not be possible if you’re waiting in line to get to your seat, but there’s no need to rush to your boarding-area queue or crowd around a coffee shop.

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4. Wear a makeshift mask (if it gives you peace of mind): It’s still unclear how much a mask will reduce a healthy person’s risk of contracting coronavirus but the extra protection doesn’t hurt. The caveat is if you’re not used to masks, you might fidget with it and thereby break a cardinal rule of coronavirus prevention: don’t touch your face.

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5. Take a shower after you arrive: When you get to your destination, take a warm soap-and-water shower before interacting with people or lounging around too long in common spaces. Soap and water is one of the best disinfectants. A bath is more comprehensive than hand-washing when you’ve been in contact with a lot of different surfaces. Avoid rewearing your travel clothes again until you’ve washed them.

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What to do when you are sick 

1. Stay at home: If you are sick (with something other than the coronavirus), reconsider whether you need to be out and about. The coronavirus is most threatening and more likely to result in complications when contracted along with another disease. With a weaker immune system, you will be more vulnerable. Exposing others to whatever you have, especially if they are immunocompromised, will make them more susceptible as well. 

 

2. Wear a makeshift mask: But for essential trips, such as to go to the doctor, wear a mask or other makeshift barrier across your nose and mouth to protect others. Even a scarf or other cloth is better than nothing for reducing the spray of droplets when you cough or sneeze. Of course, the tighter the barrier the better. Do not, however, hoard surgical masks, which need to be reserved for front-line health-care responders. That backfires for everyone.

 

3. Call an ambulance: If you suspect you have coronavirus, call for an ambulance instead. Traveling on public transit puts fellow passengers at too much risk. You could also contract another infection.

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What to do when you need food 

1. Get it delivered: Always opt for grocery or restaurant delivery if you have access to those services. It will reduce the flow of people circulating in-store and the chance of community spread. When the food arrives, wait for the delivery person to leave before you pick the package up. (Many delivery apps give you the option of specifying such instructions.) This minimizes delivery workers’—and the community’s—exposure to potential germs as they go from one home to another. 

 

2. Opt for cooked over raw foods: Cooking produce is the safest way to guarantee decontamination. But diligent washing with can also be a good defense.

 

What to do when you work out 

 

1. Opt for in-home workout (avoid gyms): Forgoing regular exercise can be challenging for mental health, especially during high-stress times such as this one. So consider developing routines that avoid the gym. Gyms are breeding grounds for many types of germs, which could weaken your immune system, but the heavy breathing and confined spaces also heighten the risk of coronavirus spread. Jog outside; do yoga in your bedroom; find in-home, equipment-free alternatives. 

 

2. Avoid peak hours: If you do need to go to the gym, try to shift your workout schedule. Just as you should avoid peak hours on the subway, staggering workout times can help reduce risk of transmission. 

 

3. Avoid high-contact equipment: Also avoid gym equipment that requires long periods of handling, like weights, and opt for things that don’t, like treadmills. Disinfect the equipment before and after use, and don’t wipe the sweat from your face with your hands during your workout. 

 

4. Shower immediately after: A generally good rule regardless, but particularly important for disinfecting your body. You want to minimize the time you spend with potential contaminants on your clothes and skin.

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What to do when you leave and come back home

 

1. Run errands together and during off-peak hours: Try to get as much done as possible in one fell swoop. You want to minimize the number of trips, then stay home for as long a period of time as you can. Also, try to avoid crowds by going to stores and public places early before work or late at night. In general, reduce the amount of time you spend in locations where you don’t know the level of infection. 

 

2. Don’t mix “outside” and “inside” clothes: Every time you get home, change your clothes—and shoes—and wash them as soon as possible. If you have the option, you can also leave coats and other hard-to-wash items outside to disinfect in the sunlight. This is especially true for people that are in areas of high risk. 

 

3. Create a dedicated reentry zone: That staging area for packages is good for humans too: in addition to changing clothes and taking off shoes, use this space to disinfect your phone and keys. Phones, in particular, can be hard to disinfect, so consider putting yours in a thin plastic bag when you leave home. Wipe it down with soap and water or alcohol once you take it back out.

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4. Take a shower after every outing: Of course, jump in the shower right away if you can. Children especially have a tendency to touch their faces, so bathe them with soap and water. If you don’t have time, at a bare minimum wash your and their face and hands. 

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What to do when you have kids

 

1. Don't exaggerate or panic: Explain coronavirus in an age-appropriate manner - but maintaining a sense of perspective becomes critically important. Don't freak out if your kid coughs or dwell for hours on coronavirus coverage. Your kids want to feel secure.

 

2. Demonstrate good habits: Teach kids how to cough and sneeze into the crook of their arm and thoroughly wash their face and hands while singing to make it a fun experience. 

 

3. Get creative if schools have closed: Kids are prone to quickly develop cabin fever and feelings of isolation. Use technology creatively: give them permission to FaceTime or play video games with friends. Online social activities can help maintain and foster friendships. You can also opt for no-tech solutions like board games and crafts with the family. 

Source: How to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic

 

Here’s why controlling the spread of the disease is so important: 

 

• Why should Pakistanis stay at home and avoid crowds and groups? To Flatten the curve.  

 

• What does that mean? By staying inside our homes, we’ll limit the probability of the disease spreading and as a result, decrease the risk of sudden surges in patient influx. 

 

• Objective: Control the spread of the disease to avoid reaching the maximum healthcare system capacity. 

 

• If the spread of the disease is not contained and Pakistan experiences a sudden explosion of illness -- people will die because there won’t be enough hospital beds or ventilators to keep them alive. The total number of cases confirmed in Pakistan is currently 31 (that’s 0.019% of total global cases confirmed). We can contain this. 

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