COVID19: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

Common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Tiredness
• Dry cough.

Other symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Aches and pains
• Sore throat
• Very few people will report diarrhoea, nausea or a runny nose.

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should self-isolate and contact their medical provider or a COVID-19 information line for advice on testing and referral. People with fever, cough or difficulty breathing should call their doctor and seek medical attention.

SAFETY TIPS AS PRESCRIBED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO):

• Maintain at least 1 metre distance between you and people coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Cover your mouth and nose WITH YOUR ELBOW when coughing or sneezing.
• Stay home if you feel unwell.
• Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.
• Practice physical distancing by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from large groups of people.
• If you must go out, #WearYourMask. It protects you and others in an instance.
• #WashYourHands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

For more quick updates, visit the WHO website https://www.who.int

oUR COVID19 RESPONSE

In Nigeria, over 80 million people live below the poverty threshold of $1/day. Many of these earn their survival daily independently, thus they must go out which COVID19 has made impossible. We have a responsibility to the aid of many who can’t help themselves. Our kindness is one which this time, comes as a service of personal benefit as helping others to protect themselves, will help stay home, protect you from getting infected.

To this end, The Mindset Transformation and Aid Organization has designed a three-pronged strategy to specifically serve the needs of local, underserved and unreached communities, e.g. Urban Slums, semi-urban communities, rural communities and townships.

These include:

1. Community Based Sensitization and Advocacy leveraging the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC). 
2. Procurement and Distribution of relief materials (mainly food stuff and water).
3. Provision of expert advisory on mental health to enable individuals and families navigate the psychological impact of COVID19 and its adjourning prevention recommendations.