CORONAVIRUS HANDBOOK

• Rule #1: Wash your hands often

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water in order to kill germs. If you are unable to use water and soap, hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol can also be used.
2. It is recommended to wash your hands (3)
   1. After coughing or sneezing
   2. Before, during, and after cooking
   3. Before meals
   4. After using the restroom
   5. When taking care of someone who is ill
   6. When your hands are dirty
   7. After taking care of pets or picking up after them

• How can you protect yourself and others?

1. Avoid close contact: kisses, hugs, and handshakes increase exposure to virus (1).
2. Do not touch your eyes, mouth, or nose, especially without having washed your hands first (1).
3. Stay 3ft away from others (1)
4. Sneeze and cough by covering yourself with disposable tissues, to be thrown away immediately (1). If you do not have tissues with you, sneeze into the crease of your elbow (1).
5. Disinfect commonly used items with alcohol or chlorine-based solutions.
6. Open windows often to let air circulate.
7. Avoid sharing bottles and glasses, even among family members (1).
8. If you think you are infected, wear a surgical mask and contact your doctor immediately (1).

• Why is it important to open windows?

1. Transmission may be airborne in the event of prolonged exposure to high viral concentration (4), which mostly concerns hospitals or places where there are infected people.
2. After analyzing the data about the Coronavirus in China, it appears that it spreads mainly between family members, health workers, and others who are close to infected patients (4).

• Why should we avoid big gatherings?

1. This regards the minimum 3 ft distance that should be kept between individuals (5)
2. The new Coronavirus is a respiratory virus that is primarily contracted through the droplets of a sick person’s breath. This is why it is vital to keep your distance from others and avoid interpersonal contact as much as possible (1).
3. Violation of the assembly ban is punishable by law (5).

• Can our pets contract or carry the COVID-19 virus?

1. To date, it seems that our pets do not contract or spread the virus (6) (1).
2. However, it is recommended to wash your hands frequently with soap and water or using alcoholic solutions after contact with pets (1).

• Watch out for the following symptoms

1. The most common symptoms are fever, dry cough, and muscle pain. Other symptoms have also been reported, such as headache, sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea (1) (7).
2. Symptoms are generally mild and gradual. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death (1) (8).
3. A low percentage of subjects, even when contracting the virus, show no symptoms. For this reason, it is essential to follow preventive measures, even if you feel well (8).

• What to do in case of symptoms

1. Stay home and do not go to the emergency room or to your primary care physician. Doing so is dangerous, as other people could be infected (1).
2. Use emergency numbers only if strictly necessary (1).
3. Call the family doctor, the medical guard or the toll-free number for your country or region.

• What can be taken to prevent contagion?

1. Do not take antivirals or antibiotics as preventive measures, always follow the doctor’s recommendations (1).
2. Having a well-balanced and complete diet can help strengthen the immune system in the long run, but there are no diets or supplements that can immediately boost the immune system or protect against the virus (7) (9).
3. Currently, there is no evidence that food is the source or route of transmission of the virus, but common hygiene rules should be respected in food preparation: wash fruits and vegetables, wash hands thoroughly, and do not mix raw and cooked foods (10) (6) (11).

• Is stocking up on food a responsible choice?

No. The government has ensured that food will always be available.

If you choose to go out for shopping, it is recommended to buy enough food to avoid going out in the days immediately following. However, at the moment, there is no need to grab food, because supermarkets will always be open and stocked. In addition, it is important to avoid too many people in the stores at the same time (5).

When shopping, respect the safety distance of at least 3 ft. from other people and wear gloves as a precaution.

• Is “smart working” and staying at home really safe?

1. In any case, hygiene rules must be kept in mind (1).
2. Frequently disinfect your mobile phone, cover, keyboard and computer mouse (1).
3. Clean glasses and contact lenses with special detergents.
4. Try to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle: there are several possibilities online to continue training at home.

• How long will this outbreak last?

1. We are dealing with a virus that has never been identified before, therefore it is not possible to make accurate predictions (1).
2. Based on the Chinese model regarding containment measures, it seems that the situation can (1) within a few weeks.
3. At the moment, it is not clear whether the spread of the virus decreases with the arrival of summer, as observed during the flu season (1).

• Are there areas that are safer than others?

1. There are no territorial differences: the containment measures are extended in general though an entire city or country (1) (12).

2. In countries like Italy, travel across the entire country is strictly prohibited.

3. Travel is limited and allowed only for:

– Proven work needs (12)

– Health reasons (12)

– Emergencies (supply, sick relatives, physiological needs of animals) (12)

5. In Italy, for example, the transgression of such laws is punishable by law as foreseen in the Criminal Code (12):

– Arrest of up to three months or fine of up to € 206 (Art. 650 of the Penal Code)

– Up to 12 years imprisonment for violation of the quarantine (Art. 452 of the Italian Criminal Code)

SOURCES:

2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center.
3. https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/hand/handwashing.html.
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554776/.
5. https://www.agi.it.
6. https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/can_the_new_type_of_coronavirus_be_transmitted_via_food_and_toys_-244090.html.
7. https://www.fondazionevalterlongo.org/13083/?lang=it.
8. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf.
9. https://www.epicentro.iss.it/coronavirus/faq.
10. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/it/news/coronavirus-no-evidence-food-source-or-transmission-route.
11. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china/questions-answers.