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Rapid response to:

Editor's Choice

Prepare for a pandemic

BMJ 2020; 368 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m864 (Published 05 March 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;368:m864

Rapid Response:

Re: Prepare for a pandemic

Dear Editor

Need of The Hour is Personal Hygiene to Prevent COVID- 2019 Spread

The Novel Coronavirus COVID- 2019 outbreak is spread as of today to 96 countries in all continents and in one International conveyance "Diamond Princess"; it is now heading towards Pandemic Spread with over one lakh (100 713) confirmed cases. Among them 55 995 were recovered and about 3412 deaths were reported as of today .

The need of the hour is personal hygiene. COVID 2019 is now become a tourism related Infectious disease.

So mass screening before and after air, train and other transport travel is important.

Voluntary testing and screening can also help to prevent the spread.

At home, indoor isolation for family members with respiratory infections can also help.

Precautions of using hand disinfectant and hygiene should be encouraged while choosing the items during shopping.

Providing isolated space in Pharmacies can also help to some extent. Unnecessary travel to crowded places and in public transport can be avoided.

In public toilets on flights, in airports and railway stations and in other public places, hygienic handling of rest room facilities is important to prevent acquiring and spreading of infection

 

Competing interests: No competing interests

06 March 2020
M.A. Aleem
Emeritus Professor of Neurology * Visiting Specialist in Neurology ** Consultant Neurologist ***
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University * Dhanalakshami Srinivasan Medical College ** ABC Hospital ***
Chennai 600032* Perambalure 621212** Trichy 620018*** Tamilnadu India