Jorge Soruco / La Paz
Family and friend gatherings; delicacies from gingerbread cookies to picana and turkey; party all night and fricassee at dawn. The end of the year is full of social activities to celebrate the holidays. But, the world is still in a pandemic and last year, after the holidays, the infections rebounded.
According to official reports, 2,866 new cases were registered in January of this year, many of them as a result of the flexibility in biosecurity measures for Christmas and New Years.
That is why the specialists recommended 10 actions to prevent last year’s painful Christmas from repeating itself.
one The first key is, in the opinion of the doctors, the vaccine. “With the Government’s determination to inoculate five-year-olds, there are no longer excuses for not having the majority of the family vaccinated. That is the first and main action ”, assured the doctor and former minister Guillermo Accounts. His colleague, the allergist at the Hospital del Niño Alfredo Mendoza, agrees with this criterion: “Full doses, of any brand, can prevent us from ending up in intensive care in two weeks.”
two Continuous surveillance of symptoms. Accounts warns that no matter how much you want to share as a family, if someone has symptoms of respiratory problems, muscle aches or fever, it is better to stay isolated. “You only need one infected for the situation to get worse,” he said. This also implies the rapid completion of the corresponding examinations, since an early warning will avoid greater evils.
3 The chinstrap. The mask continues to be one of the best tools to reduce infections. But it must be used correctly. “Both the mouth and the nose have to be covered. It is useless if one walks exposing the nostrils ”, said Accounts. For his part, Mendoza warned that surgical equipment or KN 95 must be used. “The cloth ones can go over the effective ones, for more glamor,” added the doctor.
In any case, experts recommend a test to verify the effectiveness of the mask. A flame is lit and one blows towards it with the chinstrap on. If it goes out, it means that the fabric is not suitable. Children must also wear protection from the age of two.
4 Better buy the gifts right now and don’t wait until next week. Social distancing greatly reduces the possibility of contracting the disease and at this time it is common for huge crowds to occur, which facilitated the increase in cases last year. Likewise, it is convenient to keep social gatherings small.
5 Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. “This is a magnificent means of communication, but unfortunately it has been filled with false information on the subject,” said Accounts. This ranges from news that exacerbates fear to false arguments against the vaccine and those who claim that the pandemic is false and that it is just a conspiracy.
The most dangerous, in the opinion of specialists, are anti-vaccine movements. These present alleged documents that either try to discredit the companies that produce the substances or accuse the drugs of causing other more serious diseases.
6 The duration of social gatherings should be less than what is customary. The longer space is shared with people outside the intimate environment, the more chances of contagion.
Even with limited time, distance between the participants is suggested, especially if there is going to be food and, therefore, abandonment of the chinstrap.
7 It is perhaps the simplest measure, but it continues to be one of the most effective: wash your hands. “The simplest thing can be extremely important in health cases and in this pandemic is cleaning the hands on a regular basis,” said Mendoza.
When you get home, before preparing meals, after touching other people… these are important points to carry out this action.
An important complement is the use of antibacterial alcohol gel. It is very useful when you do not have access to soap and water and is also an ideal complement.
8 Change your chinstrap regularly. These protective implements do not have an infinite life. Surgical chinstraps must be renewed on a regular basis.
“The health regulations indicate that the change must be made every four hours. It is almost impossible for the citizen to do so, but it is recommended that, at least, it be changed daily. Fortunately, they are sold on the street at an affordable price, ”said the former Minister of Health.
9 Find the best way to have good ventilation. Enclosed spaces are an excellent medium for the transmission of the virus. A meeting scheduled for these dates should consider air circulation. It is advisable to have the windows open in the places where people will be.
10 Take nothing for granted and avoid excesses. The world continues in a pandemic and, to top it all, the appearance of new varieties was announced. There is not a normal situation, despite the easing of restrictions. It is better, experts say, to hold out for at least one more year.
1,878
contagions throughout the country
were registered by the health authorities
from the country last week.
