Reducing the risk of infection with respiratory viruses

Dear students!

We remind you of the basic rules, the implementation of which will significantly reduce the risk of infection with respiratory viruses.

Practise hand hygiene! Clean hands are a guarantee that you will not spread viruses by infecting yourself when you touch your mouth and nose, and infecting others through touching surfaces.

As often as possible, especially after using public transport, after being outside and visiting public places, before and after taking meals, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use hand sanitizers.

Carry hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes with you so that you can clean your hands in any situation.

These simple measures will remove viruses from your hands!

Perform regular wet cleaning of the area where you live, clean and disinfect surfaces using household detergents. Pay attention to doorknobs, handrails, tables, chairs, computer keyboards and computer mice, telephones, control panels, public office equipment panels and other items that you touch at home and at the university. Keeping surfaces clean is one of the simplest but most important rules!

As often as possible, ventilate the room.

Avoid crowded places or shorten the time spent in crowded places (public transport, shopping centers, markets, entrance halls, etc.).

Avoid close contact with people who seem unwell or who have signs of a respiratory infection (coughing, sneezing).

Avoid shaking hands and kissing when greeting (until SARS season ends).

Remember that respiratory viruses are transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne transmission (when talking, sneezing, coughing). Therefore, try to maintain a distance of at least 1-1.5 m from persons who have symptoms of a respiratory infection.

Observe "respiratory etiquette":

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (handkerchief) when you sneeze or cough;
• use disposable paper napkins (handkerchiefs) and throw them away immediately after use;
• in the absence of a napkin (handkerchief), cough or sneeze into the bend of the elbow;
• do not touch your nose, mouth and eyes with unwashed hands.

Use a mask!!!

IMPORTANT!

 When using medical masks (disposable), the following rules must be observed:

            1. Disinfect your hands with alcohol containing remedy or wash with soap and water.

            2. Holding the mask by the ties or elastic bands, bring it close to the face with the white side inward and fix it with ties (elastic bands) in a position where the lower part of the face is completely covered - both the mouth and the nose.

            3. Shape the flexible nose wire to the desired shape, ensuring a snug fit of the mask to the face.

            4. Remove the mask, holding the ties (elastic band) at the back, without touching the front of the mask.

            5. Dispose the removed mask into a waste container.

            6. Wash your hands with soap or use hand sanitizer.

IMPORTANT!

The mask should be used for no more than two hours.

Replace the mask immediately if it gets wet, even if less than two hours have passed.

Do not touch the mask on your face with your hands.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or use hand sanitizer after touching the used mask.

Disposable masks cannot be reused!

Follow a healthy lifestyle! This will increase your body's natural resistance to infections.

Go for a walk in fresh air more often, get enough sleep and follow the rules of a balanced diet (food should contain vitamins, especially A, B1, C; eat vegetables and fruits, especially those containing vitamin C, as much as possible).

In case of the symptoms of respiratory infections, including the flu and coronavirus infection (fever, chills, weakness, headache, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain and body aches):

• stay at home and call a district doctor;
• strictly follow all the recommendations that the doctor will give you (bed rest, taking medications);
• limit your contact with family members as much as possible, especially children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, so as not to infect them;
• use a mask if you have to interact with people.

Remember that a timely visit to a doctor and starting a treatment will minimize the risk of development of the main severe complication of influenza and coronavirus - pneumonia.