Coronavirus disease or also known as Covid-19 has severely affected people from all over the world. The pandemic has been undeniably detrimental to people’s well-being in regards to their physical, mental, and emotional state. Therefore, it is crucial for each and every one of us to equip ourselves with knowledge and information on the Covid-19 virus such as the causes, how it spreads, the effects, prevention mechanisms, and many more. To date, as reported by the Ministry of Health, the total number of confirmed cases in Malaysia as of 28th July 2021 amounted to 1,044,071 cases with 8404 number of death cases.
According to World Health Organization, the virus mainly spreads through droplets of saliva and also from the discharge of the nose of an infected person when they cough or sneeze. Majority of the people who are infected with Covid-19 virus might undergo mild to moderate levels of respiratory illness and will eventually recover from the disease without necessitating any kind of special treatment. As a matter of fact, everyone is susceptible to Covid-19 virus regardless of the gender, age, ethnicity, and social status. Nevertheless, it is important to note that there are certain groups of people who are at high risk of developing severe illnesses if they were to be infected with Covid-19 virus, specifically those at old ages and also those with underlying medical issues such as chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.
Some of the prevention guidelines that were listed and provided by WHO are (i) to regularly wash or clean hands with soap, water, or alcohol-based hand rub, (ii) to practice social distancing, (iii) to avoid touching our faces, (iv) to cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze, (v) to maintain a minimum distance of 1 metre between us and people sneezing or coughing, (vi) to stay home if we are feeling unwell and if there is no necessity in going out, and lastly, (vii) to refrain ourselves from smoking or any other activities that might weaken our lungs.
All in all, it is extremely important for all of us to play our part in the effort towards flattening the Covid-19 curve and to ensure the soundness of our own health and everyone around us.
Sr. Nur Izzati Filzah Meor Amirnudin, Internship student