COVID-19: options for prevention

by Abbas Jahangir · June 16, 2024

Similar to other respiratory infections, covering the nose and mouth has been shown to be a highly effective prevention of disease transmission. To increase protection against disease, a combination of a respirator and a protective shield is used, especially in the healthcare sector and in operations where there is close and long-term contact with people. It is necessary to respect the current official measures. The newly spreading mutations of the coronavirus are more contagious and the risk of infection increases even with short contact with an infectious person. The more people wear respirators, the less coronavirus will circulate in the population. It is important to wear respirators properly fitted to cover the nose and mouth and to change them regularly. Respirators minimize the risk of infection. If you are infectious, a respirator reduces the risk of infecting people around you. If you are healthy, a respirator protects you from infection from people with the disease. “I protect myself, I protect you” still applies. Even vaccinated persons must wear a respirator.

Spacing

Spacing is important to minimize the risk of droplet infection , so avoid crowded places or places where you might meet sick people, keep a distance of at least one, ideally two meters or more, from others in public places. The greater the number of contacts, the higher the risk of infection. Avoid close contact with people with acute respiratory illness.

Hands

The coronavirus enters the body through the conjunctiva , nose or mouth, so it is important not to touch the face, especially the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, so wash your hands regularly and also help the person you care for (children, the sick, etc.) ,). Do not touch the outside of the respirator. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, then rinse and dry your hands thoroughly, especially when in direct contact with or around sick people, before eating, drinking or smoking , and after physical contact with frequently touched objects, including banknotes and coins. The same applies to caregivers of anyone who tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 . If you cannot wash with soap and water, disinfect your hands with an alcohol- based disinfectant .

Other recommendations for non-specific prevention:

Strengthen your immunity with a healthy lifestyle and vitamin intake.
Follow the principles of safe handling and contact with wild, farm and domestic animals.
If you have an acute respiratory illness , observe “cough etiquette” – keep a sufficient distance from other people, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (or cough and sneeze into your sleeve), wash your hands often with soap and water; if not available, use alcohol-based disinfectant gels.
Follow infection prevention and control rules in healthcare facilities [1].
In prevention, similar to other respiratory infections, gargling and moistening the nasal mucosa with saline solutions is recommended, which can alleviate symptoms and possibly reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV .
In areas where there are more people, at home, at the workplace, in means of transport, at school, in waiting rooms, etc., ventilate often! This reduces the concentration of the virus in the environment.

Specific prevention – vaccination

Vaccination generally helps prevent infectious diseases . It is an imitation of a natural infection, when after the application of the vaccine protective antibodies are produced in the body .

Vaccines against COVID-19 induce an immune response in the body of the vaccinated individual , which prevents the disease from the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Currently (as of 17/12/2021), four vaccines against COVID-19, approved by the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ) , are registered in the Czech Republic; from Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty – mRNA COVID-19 vaccine), Moderna (Spikevax – mRNA COVID-19 vaccine), AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), and a vaccine from Johnson & Johnson (Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen).

None of these vaccines contain a live virus, so it is not possible to get COVID-19 as a result of their administration.

You can find more detailed information about vaccination and the possible administration of booster doses on the government’s Covid portal [2]. Basic information about mRNA vaccines can be found in the article COVID-19: what do we know about mRNA vaccines?