Covid-19

Covid-19: Understanding coronavirus

Learn more about the COVID-19 virus, the symptoms and expert advice on how to help prevent its spread.

What is Coronavirus?

According to the World Health Organization:- Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)

What is 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.  It’s important to note that how easily a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious, while other viruses are less so. Investigations are ongoing to better understand the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19, but there are indications that person-to-person spread is occurring

Does VedicClean decrease the chances of Coronavirus (COVID-19 Virus) infections?

Following independent laboratory testing specifies VedicClean products have demonstrated effectiveness against the Covid-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) when used in accordance with the directions for use.

Know the Coronavirus Symptoms

According to World Health Organization: – COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

Most common symptoms:
Fever.
Dry cough.
Tiredness.
Less common symptoms:
Aches and pains.
sore throat.
Diarrhea.
Conjunctivitis.
Headache.
Loss of taste or smell.
A rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.
Serious symptoms:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
Chest pain or pressure.
Loss of speech or movement.
How to help protect ourselves from the Coronavirus

The best way to protect yourself is avoid being exposed to the virus. The WHO recommends doing the following:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.
Maintain at least 1 meter distance between you and people coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching your face.
Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Stay home if you feel unwell.
Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.
Practice physical distancing by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from large groups of people.

In a pandemic, we’re looking to clean a little differently

With the COVID-19 virus* in the news, many of us want to know how to clean our homes more effectively.

Here’s why antibacterial cleaning liquids and targeted hygiene have never been more popular.

We all know hygiene is the foundation of health and so good hygiene practices are essential. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re spending more and more time searching for ways to clean and disinfect our homes, and less time caring about our non-essential appliances.

How our cleaning routines have changed since the COVID-19 virus*.

Our cleaning interests are changing

We’re more interested than ever in discovering how to disinfect our homes – not just clean them.

Increase in Interest – How to disinfect
586% surfaces
556% door handles
457% laptop
430% how to disinfect

Source: Google Keyword Planner. Data March-May 2020.

Increase in Interest – How to clean
98% TV screen
49% a mattress
26% how to clean
23% washing machine
How bacteria and viruses can hide in plain sight.
Journey of a Virus
After buying food and essential supplies, you open the shop door to leave. Being unknown to you, someone who is unwell has coughed into their hands and opened that same door minutes earlier.
You return home. Forgetting to wash your hands, you move through the house, grasping door handles and touching surfaces along your way.
Chain of infection begin to occur, and minutes later, you touch your face, possibly infecting yourself.
Other members of your household touch the same surfaces and possibly infect themselves too.
The key? Washing your hands is the priority when you return home - and remember, regularly disinfect the surfaces you touch.

The scenario above illustrates the ease with which viruses can come into our home – often when we least expect it.

This is by no means the only situation we could think of, however.

For instance:
Back from the supermarket? Store raw chicken on the bottom shelf so that if there is a leak in the packaging, juices which may contain bacteria won’t drip onto ready-to-eat foods such as ham and cheese.
Using bleach regularly in the bowl of the toilet? Make sure you disinfect the toilet flush handles as well – an area that often gets overlooked – or you risk undoing a lot of your good work.

Ultimately, try to think about germ transfer hotspots – these are surfaces that are regularly touched by other people and may be contaminated with pathogens as a result. They don’t have to be visually dirty to pose a risk.

What about the future?

While the COVID-19 virus* might have changed our habits, cleaning is not just about getting rid of germs. Rather, it’s also a holistic activity that bolsters our sense of wellbeing (infographic 6).

And so when mixing between households is allowed, many of us will begin to open our doors again to the outside world; in doing so, we’ll tidy and clean, and try to present the best version of our homes possible.

With that in mind, here are some easy hygiene tips to focus on; tips that will ensure your home is hygienically clean when guests visit your house.
Change shared items – such as your hand towel in the bathroom – every day. If you have guests or people coming to work in your house, provide paper towels and a bin and ditch the cloth towel.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, handrails and toilet flush handles before guests arrive and after they have left.
Prevent cross-contamination. For example, keep chicken on the bottom shelf, and wash utensils/boards and your hands after prepping raw meat, poultry, fish or soiled vegetables.
Leave germs at the door: take your shoes off when you come inside the home and leave them at the door - and wash your hands immediately.
Keep the lid of the toilet down when you flush to prevent bacteria rising up onto the surfaces you regularly touch?

In the end, keeping a clean and hygienic home doesn’t need to take up the whole day. To kill bacteria and viruses, it is better to focus on small disinfection tasks but perform them regularly (little but often). In this way, you can break the chain of infection through targeted hygiene. Then, when you have an afternoon free, and you have the urge to deep clean, you can focus on other tasks (like cleaning the entire floor or skirting boards) to give your home that sparkling finish.

Preventing the flu throughout the day

Discover ideas on how to prevent flu symptoms for the whole family.

As a home keeper, you may clean the kitchen and bathroom regularly, and you certainly wash your hands before eating and after using the toilet. However, there is no avoiding the fact that your family will come into contact with germs throughout their day to day life. Most of these germs are harmless but others can cause illness like cold and flu so it’s good to be aware of some of the less-obvious places you, your partner and your children might come into contact with cold and flu through the day­.

Helping Prevent the Flu for Mum and Dad
Where: The trip to school / driving to work

Cold and flu viruses can survive for up to 24 hours on hard surfaces so keep a pack of VedicClean Multi-Powered Car Cleaning Liquid in your car and wipe down the steering wheel and dashboard to help prevent the spread of cold and flu germs. VedicClean antibacterial liquid 100% Better to kill viruses and bacteria when used as directed, including eight cold and flu viruses.

Where: The office

Hectic schedules might mean eating lunch at your desk or rushed bathroom breaks, both of which help germs build up on your keyboard at work. To reduce the chance of picking up illness causing germs such as cold and flu at the office, ensure you wash your hands throughout the day with VedicClean Liquid soap and water, especially after using the bathroom and before eating. Also, try to wipe down your keyboard with a disinfectant wipe before beginning work.

Where: The home

During cold and flu season it’s a good idea to be extra vigilant about your household cleaning. High-touch everyday items including the TV remote, light switches and door handles should be wiped down as part of your weekly clean with a disinfectant wipe to help prevent the spread of cold and flu viruses. Remember, clothes can harbor germs too, so if a member of the family has been ill, try adding an antibacterial laundry liquid to your wash. When used as directed, it kills 99.9% of bacteria.

Where: The gym

Sharing equipment between lots of people means the gym can be a breeding ground for germs, including cold and flu. Rather than use this an excuse not to go, always make sure you wash your hands with VedicClean Liquid Hand wash when you have finished at the gym and when you get home to help prevent bringing any cold and flu germs back home with you.

Helping Prevent the Flu for Teenagers
Where: The school bus

As your son or daughter takes the bus to and from school, they may be exposed to a host of germs on public transport. Encourage your children to wash their hands as soon as they get to school. To help prevent bringing flu and cold germs back home, make handwashing with VedicClean Liquid Hand wash after school a house rule.

Where: The classroom

At secondary schools where children are changing classrooms every hour or so, school desks might become a hot spot for cold and flu germs. A gentle reminder to your teenager about the importance of regular handwashing, especially before eating, is a good way to help protect them from cold and flu.

Where: Mobile phone

Studies have shown that mobile phone can carry a whole host of germs and bacteria. Remind your kids to never use their mobile phones while they are using the bathroom and encourage the whole family to wipe their phones every day with an antibacterial cleansing liquid to help prevent the spread of cold and flu germs.

Helping Prevent the Flu for Children
Where: The school classroom

Close contact with lots of other children at school and sharing pens, pencils or books make the classroom a perfect environment for germs to thrive, particularly cold and flu viruses. Since children’s immune systems are less mature than adults, it is essential that children practice good hand hygiene from a young age, washing their hands with VedicClean Liquid Hand wash and warm water to help prevent flu and cold.

Where: The school toilet

The school toilets are an obvious hotspot for germs. It’s important to remind your children that washing their hands with VedicClean Liquid Hand wash or Liquid Soap and water after using the bathroom at school is just as important as washing them at home.

Where: The playground

Sharing toys and exploring outside during school breaks means your children can pick up a lot of germs on their hands and shoes. Remind your children that they should always wash their hands with VedicClean Liquid Hand wash or Liquid soap and water after playtime and ensure they take their shoes off when coming into the house after school to help prevent spreading flu and cold germs.

Whether it’s at home, at work or at school, it is inevitable that our families will meet germs throughout the day. Being aware of the everyday places your family could encounter cold and flu and encouraging a good handwashing routine for the whole family, will help prevent flu and cold in your home.