Guidelines of COVID-19 Protection For the Elderly and Patients With Underlying Diseases

A new coronavirus pneumonia suddenly broke out and swept the globe. So far, more than 600,000 cases have been diagnosed worldwide, and 14 of them have a mortality rate of more than 5%. Especially in Italy, the case fatality rate even reached 10.55%!
At the same time, according to statistics from various countries, we found that nearly half of the infected patients were elderly people over 60 years old. The elderly and those with diabetes, heart disease and other diseases are more severe and have a higher mortality rate. Among the deaths reported in China, the median age of death was 75 years.
At present, many countries have already entered an aging society. Therefore, assisting the elderly in effective prevention and control is an important link to curb the deterioration of the epidemic.
Self-protection

■ Reduce travel

Because COVID-19 is highly transmissible from person to person, eliminating unnecessary going out and gathering can greatly reduce the chance of infection.

■ Wear a mask and keep a distance

When you must go out, you can choose disposable medical masks for protection. COVID-19 can be transmitted through droplets, and proper and correct wearing of a mask can effectively block the transmission of the source of infection. When walking or lining up, keeping a distance of more than 1 meter from others can also play a protective role.

■ Wash your hands often

Contact transmission is one of the main transmission channels of COVID-19, so washing your hands frequently is also important as wearing a mask. Pay special attention to washing your hands after going home from outside, before eating, and after going to the toilet. Rub under running water with soap or hand sanitizer for 30 seconds, pay attention to washing the finger seams, nail seams, etc., and cut your nails as short as possible.

■ Reasonable diet, strengthen nutrition and proper exercise

Do not touch and eat wild animals, separate raw and cooked food when handling food, and fully cook meat before eating. In addition, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, supplement high-quality protein, etc. If appetite is not good, you can properly add nutrition powder At the same time, doing home exercise for about 30 minutes every day can help digestion and improve immunity.

■ Pay attention to keep warm and prevent fall

Infection and falls are the most common causes of hospital admissions for the elderly. During the epidemic period, it is even more necessary to be cautious, take precautions, and avoid hospitalization. Consult your doctor if you have any discomfort such as no cough or fever. Wear comfortable non-slip slippers or shoes at home for exercise or walking. Those who are unstable or have had a fall and use crutches can reduce the risk of falling.

■ Prepare self-rescue measures in advance

During the epidemic, you should avoid going to the hospital as much as possible. For family members with poor sleep quality and basic diseases, you can buy a home ventilator to provide oxygen in time when patients have difficulty breathing and snoring.

■ Ventilation

New coronaviruses generally do not fly into the room from a window, and closed environments can cause problems such as insufficient oxygen in the room and bacterial growth. It is recommended to regularly ventilate the home, and open the window 2 to 3 times a day for 15-30 minutes each time, which can effectively improve the indoor environment and prevent infection. Of course, you can also choose an air purifier to improve the room air quality.

■ Home environment disinfection

The home environment needs to be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Based on previous knowledge of coronaviruses, this type of virus is more sensitive to UV and heat, above 30 ° C for 30 minutes, ether, 75% ethanol, chlorine-containing disinfectant (84 disinfectant, bleach, etc.), peracetic acid, and chloroform Fat solvents such as fat can effectively inactivate the virus. It is recommended to use appropriate disinfection methods for furniture, clothing, soles, etc. Before using disinfectants, you must read the instructions carefully. Improper use can easily cause safety accidents. It is not recommended to stock up a large amount of disinfectants. So as not to leave hidden dangers.

■ Multi-Companion

Many elderly people will suddenly lose their previous social activities due to restrictions in public places such as parks; uneasy worries and panic about the epidemic. Prone to problems such as anxiety and depression. So I call on everyone to spend more time with the elderly.

In short, the elderly population has many characteristics such as reduced organ function reserve capacity, low resistance, and coexistence of various chronic diseases. Once infected, it is often critically ill and has a very high mortality rate. Therefore, prevention is more important. This requires the joint efforts of individuals, families, social support systems, and even elderly care institutions and senior medical workers. Let us help the elderly to survive the spread of the epidemic from all angles and reduce infection and death.