The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and has since spread to other parts of Asia and potentially Australia. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. While most dangerous for the elderly or those with weak immune systems, it can spread between humans. To protect yourself, wash hands frequently, avoid touching your face, maintain distance from others if possible, and use a mask in areas with known cases. Being vigilant and monitoring news updates is also advised while more is learned about this new virus.

1. How to protect yourself against the
Coronavirus
It was only at the beginning of the week that there was a report talking about the emergence
of a SARS like supervirus that had spread from Wuhan, China. 3 days later on we’re now
seeing that the virus has crossed continents and can potentially enter Australia. Instead of
inciting panic about the spread of the disease we want to talk about the facts of the
coronavirus and provide practical suggestions for how you can manage your health to reduce
your vulnerability to infection.
Let’s start with what we know: the coronavirus was first recorded at the end of 2019 and
originated in Wuhan, China. According to Business Insider Australia, as of Tuesday the 21st
of January, they noted that there were 6 deaths out of 258 cases in Wuhan. The number of
victims has risen to 17 over the last couple of days. Alongside this, there have also been a
number of increasing cases that have been recorded throughout China as well as Taiwan,
Thailand, Japan and South Korea. As of Wednesday, there was a potential scare as there was
a report that a potential coronavirus carrier had entered Brisbane. Whilst this has recently
been proven false, the fear of the coronavirus entering Australia is very real, especially with
Chinese New Years looming with potential tourists entering and leaving the country. To
assist in containing the virus, Chinese authorities have suspended all outbound transport from
Wuhan. But the risk of contamination still runs very high across the Asia-Pacific region.
According to virologists, the coronavirus is able to be spread between humans. The only
noticeable signs and symptoms of the coronavirus are that they begin with a general feeling
of unwellness, accompanied by the traditional flu like symptoms of a headache, sore throat,
fever, runny nose and dry cough. The virus is most lethal to the elderly who might already
suffer from upper respiratory conditions or those that have weakened immune systems.
Whilst the disease has been compared to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS),
research is still being conducted to find out more information about this virus.
In regards to prevention, the best thing that you can do is to reduce human to human contact
as much as possible. If you are in a location that has a case of coronavirus then the least you
can do is grab a mask like the Dr Hoffman’s Mask which is designed to prevent against the
“splash” of a sneeze or a cough or any mouth-to-hand transmissions. Whilst these aren’t a
silver bullet for prevention and certainly not able to be worn comfortably throughout an entire
day they are good at filtering against the particles in the air. The next best thing to do is to
wash hands regularly with warm water and soap, avoid touching ones eyes and nose and to
maintain exercise wherever possible. Whilst these methods may seem traditional they are the
best practices to avoid infection from the coronavirus until further studies and reports have
been made.
Otherwise, for those of us in countries that have yet to be infected, it is best to keep an eye on
the news and ours to the ground to hear what developments are made. Whilst the World
Health Organisation has yet to declare the coronavirus a public health emergency it is best to
be vigilant and mindful of the potential risks of the virus at this time.