greet with your feet 

South Africa  – The first case of the COVID-19 virus in South Africa was reported on Thursday 5 March and at the time of going to print, the number of reported cases grew to 17.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, those who are symptomatic have started receiving treatment. Some of these patients are already in the hospital while some, specifically those who are asymptomatic are in self-quarantine. Contact tracing has also started for all these cases.

The most important thing to remember is: don’t panic, equip yourself with knowledge about the virus and take the necessary precautions. 

The first thing to do is to make sure you wash your hands as often as possible. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. 

Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick so avoid touching your face as much as possible.

When someone sneezes or coughs the virus can be spread through the droplets. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing rather stay at home so that you do not spread the disease.

Maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. 
And last, but not least, avoid shaking hands. Instead, try the trending new footshake. It is time to abandon the traditional handshakes and start to greet each other by tapping feet together to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus.

If you start to show symptoms seek medical attention and call in advance.