An alcohol-based sanitizer does not create antibiotic resistance. Unlike other antiseptics and antibiotics, pathogens (harmful germs) do not seem to develop resistance to alcohol-based sanitizers. Show
FACT: Alcohol-based sanitizers are safe for everyone to useAlcohols in the sanitizers have not been shown to create any relevant health issues. Little alcohol is absorbed into the skin, and most products contain an emollient to reduce skin dryness. Allergic contact dermatitis and bleaching of hand hair due to alcohol are very rare adverse effects. Accidental swallowing and intoxication have been described in rare cases. FACT: Alcohol-based sanitizers can be used in religions where alcohol is prohibitedAny manufactured substance developed to alleviate illness or contribute to better health is permitted by the Qur'an, including alcohol used as a medical agent. FACT: The amount of alcohol-based sanitizer you use mattersApply a palmful of alcohol-based sanitizer to cover all surfaces of your hands. Rub your hands together using the right technique until they are dry. The entire procedure should last 20-30 seconds. FACT: It is safer to frequently clean your hands and not wear glovesWearing gloves risks transferring germs from one surface to another and contaminating your hands when removing them. Wearing gloves does not replace cleaning hands. Health workers wear gloves only for specific tasks. FACT: Touching a communal bottle of alcohol-based sanitizer will not infect youOnce you've sanitized your hands, you have disinfected them from any germs that may have been on the bottle. If everyone uses sanitizer in a public place such as a supermarket entrance, the risk of germs on communal items will be lower and will help keep everyone safe. FACT: An alcohol-based handrub is listed as a WHO essential medicineClean hands protect patients, health workers, other caregivers and everyone from infection. Cleaning your hands is one of the key measures to prevent disease. FACT: Vitamin and mineral supplements cannot cure COVID-19Micronutrients, such as vitamins D and C and zinc, are critical for a well-functioning immune system and play a vital role in promoting health and nutritional well-being. There is currently no guidance on the use of micronutrient supplements as a treatment of COVID-19. WHO is coordinating efforts to develop and evaluate medicines to treat COVID-19. Is dexamethasone a treatment for all COVID-19 patients?Dexamethasone should be reserved for patients who need it most. It should not be stockpiled. It provided no improvement for patients with mild symptoms. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid used for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. For some COVID-19 patients on ventilators, a daily 6 mg dose of dexamethasone for 10 days improved their health Fact: Water or swimming does not transmit the COVID-19 virusThe COVID-19 virus does not transmit through water while swimming. However, the virus spreads between people when someone has close contact with an infected person. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Avoid crowds and maintain at least a 1-metre distance from others, even when you are swimming or at swimming areas. Wear a mask when you’re not in the water and you can’t stay distant. Clean your hands frequently, cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or bent elbow, and stay home if you’re unwell. FACT: The likelihood of shoes spreading COVID-19 is very lowThe likelihood of COVID-19 being spread on shoes and infecting individuals is very low. As a precautionary measure, particularly in homes where infants and small children crawl or play on floors, consider leaving your shoes at the entrance of your home. This will help prevent contact with dirt or any waste that could be carried on the soles of shoes. FACT: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a virus, NOT by bacteriaThe virus that causes COVID-19 is in a family of viruses called Coronaviridae. Antibiotics do not work against viruses. Some people who become ill with COVID-19 can also develop a bacterial infection as a complication. In this case, antibiotics may be recommended by a health care provider. There are other ways of describing how germs are spread that are commonly used. Germs can be spread through , which is usually through semen and vaginal secretions (body fluids), but can also occur through contact with mucus membranes. Germs can spread through . Many but not all the germs spread in this way are through contact with faeces and then with the mouth (faeco-oral). Germs can also spread from a , usually though blood (body fluids) but also through contact with skin or mucous membranes during delivery. Adapted from National Health and Medical Research Council - Staying Healthy: preventing infectious disease in early childhood education and care services, 5th Edition 2012. Spread through the air by dropletsSome infections are spread when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes small droplets containing infectious agents into the air. Due to their size, these droplets in the air travel only a short distance (around a metre) from the infected person before falling. The droplets in the air may be breathed in by those nearby. Spread can also occur by touching the nose or mouth with droplet contaminated hands. Examples of droplet spread diseases:
Spread through the air by aerosolSome infections are spread when an infected person talks, breathes, coughs or sneezes tiny particles containing infectious agents into the air. These are called small particle aerosols. Due to their tiny size, small particle aerosols can travel long distances on air currents and remain suspended in the air for minutes to hours. These small particle aerosols may be breathed in by another person. Examples of airborne spread diseases:
Spread through faeces and then the mouth (faecal-oral spread)Some infections are spread when microscopic amounts of faeces (poo) from an infected person with symptoms or an infected person without symptoms (a carrier) are taken in by another person by mouth. The faeces may be passed:
Examples of diseases spread from faeces:
Some infections are spread directly when skin or mucous membrane (the thin moist lining of many parts of the body such as the nose, mouth, throat and genitals) comes into contact with the skin or mucous membrane of another person. Infections are spread indirectly when skin or mucous membrane comes in contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. Examples of diseases spread by insects, and in the examples listed below, specifically by mosquitoes: |
