The current outbreak of coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has left everyone across the globe scrambling for supplies and protection that will keep them safe from the illness. While it is still unclear exactly how the disease in China first got its start, there is currently no vaccine and new reports (more than 70 thousand) of its spread are happening daily.
COVID-19, which is spread person-to-person, includes pneumonia and shortness of breath and in more severe cases, respiratory failure, septic shock, and even multi-organ failure.
The CDC is recommending that anyone who thinks they might have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider immediately.
Here are some of the top first aid supplies to get for protection and prevention of the Coronavirus spread.
Keep Your Hands Clean
One of the most important steps anyone can take to prevent contracting or spreading this very new disease epidemic is by practicing hand hygiene. This includes hand washing, using sanitizer and disinfecting any areas you’ve touched or will come in contact with.
Stock up on:
- Hand Sanitizer
- Hand Soap
- Antimicrobial Wipes
- Disinfectant cleaning sprays
Cover Up with Face Masks
Perhaps the most important tool used to protect one from coming in contact with the disease is a face mask. By covering their mouth, there are fewer chances for the virus to become airborne and make its way into the mouth and enter the body.
The CDC is recommending that those who are showing signs of COVID-19 use face masks as a way to contain the spread of germs. Â If you are a healthcare worker or someone who will come in close contact with those who are potentially infected, you should also be using face masks.
Consider Goggles
The other area of the body that people are starting to concentrate on now as details of the viruses spread are still unknown, is the eyes. Goggles can be used in this case to stop droplets from coughs or sneezes that go airborne from ending up getting into the eye membranes and causing someone to contract the disease. With no real proof yet of how the disease is exactly contracted or spread, many people are stocking up on supplies in advance of the growth of the epidemic.