Members as we all know by now we are facing a possible pandemic from the Corona virus. We must be vigilant with our health and hygiene. Please have a talk with your family members about the looming potentially dangerous situation. 56 countries in the world are affected, more than 83,000 people infected and almost 3000 deaths, we need to pay attention.
We want to share the following advise as a common sense practice to all of our members.
- Try to avoid large gatherings where there might be a chance to be exposed to infection from the virus. Concerts, professional sporting events, movies, political rallies.. etc.
- You may want to rethink any cruise plans or flying since being in close quarters with others may put you at a higher risk to exposure. There was a recent debacle of cruise ships where several infections and subsequent deaths were reported
- Try to avoid areas where everyone uses a common item. If you must ,Sanitize/ wipe the buttons of slot machines in the casinos.Sanitize the grips at machines at the gym, etc. Be careful about sharing towels, utensils etc..
- Keep washing hands whenever the chance arises. Keep sanitizer in the vehicle if washing is not possible.
- Any signs of the flu, cough, fevers, excessive sneezing, sweats etc.. see a health care professional ASAP.
- Be vigilant of your surroundings. Avoid situations where others show signs of flu like symptoms. Remember also, not everyone who has the virus show signs immediately. Incubation period can sometimes take up to 2 weeks.
- Do not discriminate against anyone because of their race or ethnicity and associate any one group with this situation. There are too many unknowns about this virus. We are all human beings, be respectful please.
- Be proactive and stock up on any items such as protective wear for the face. Masks and goggles may be wise to have in your medicine cabinets. Just in case it’s needed later. Make a contingency plan in case someone you know shows signs of infection.
- Stay informed. Listen to reports and pay attention to any advisories by the medical community, the CDC and the WHO.
- Just remember, it is always wise to be prepared than to react after the fact. The vaccine for this virus is reported to be more than a year away. There are reports that the Chinese government has repressed the accuracy of this situation, so no one knows accurately about how widespread this virus is.It is in every continent except Antarctica. Remember, this virus can infect a person through the eyes, not only the nose. Always keep the mouth wet and drink often. If the virus is in the mouth and it’s swallowed, it will die in the stomach from the acids in the stomach. According to a recent study: “Human coronaviruses can remain infectious on inanimate surfaces at room temperature for up to 9 days. At a temperature of 30°C [86°F] or more, the duration of persistence is shorter. Veterinary coronaviruses have been shown to persist even longer for 28 d[ays].”
- The first case of a patient who was infected and then cured and then was reinfected , all in 3 weeks. Even pets are testing positive for a soft strain of the virus.
- The CDC has released an advisory about excessive facial hairs also. Big beards, etc. can hamper and reduce the effectiveness of a facial mask when worn. It allows a way for viruses to penetrate between the beard and the mask.
Please be vigilant and cognizant of your surroundings.
NB: I wrote the above article only as an advisory and it’s only my personal recommendations to league members. It’s general advice and it is not intended to be medical advice. If you can take away one thing from the above article, then it has served its purpose.
Thank you
Dave Singh
President SFSCL
