How to ‘Stop the Spread’ of caronavirus and protect yourself.

If you’re an adult service provider (or anyone else for that matter), then there is a good chance you’ve asked yourself at least one of the following questions:

• What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
• How can I better screen my clients?
• How do I protect myself from the coronavirus?

Don’t worry! These are all valid questions given that personal safety is paramount to everyone. Whilst there is nothing to formally suggest that this virus is transmitted through sex, what we do know (at this stage) is that that COVID-19 is present in respiratory secretions which include droplets that exit a person’s mouth from coughing or sneezing.

So in order to keep you as informed as possible, we’ve put together this short blog piece on what to look out for and what measures you can put in place to help yourself.

For those that are not exactly sure what the coronaviruses is – the Coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is a new zoonotic strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans with reports identifying it has been transmitted from an animal. It’s essentially a large family of viruses that cause illness starting from the common cold to more stark diseases including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV).

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

The symptoms of the coronavirus (and things to look out for) are similar to that of a common cold or flu which means it can include:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Fever (≥37.5)
• Fatigue
• Breathing difficulties
• Sneezing

However symptoms vary from person to person. Some may not become ill at all whilst other may get very sick.

How can you better screen your clients?

From the various reports about the virus, the people of most at risk in Australia are those who:

• Have recently travelled overseas, particularly to high risk countries; and/or
• Been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19

In addition to the above, it is appears that the people most at risk of infection are people with compromised immune systems (people with cancer), elderly people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people (given higher rates of chronic illness), people of chronic medical conditions or people in potential shared accommodation.

Therefore be sure to screen your clients by telephone (if possible) with questions which may include:

• Tell me about your day? How are you feeling? (This is an open but friendly question will should allow you to listen to your client in order to listen out for any potential symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing or sneezing etc.)
• Have you been overseas recently? Where did you go? (Be sure to check out if that country is a potentially infected area)
• Have you been in close or casual contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case in the 14 days? (Should you want to be more direct)

Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus

• Wash your hands frequently – try to use alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water as this kills viruses
• Maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing – the COVID-19 virus has been found to be contained in liquid droplets from a persons nose or mouth through coughing or sneezing so keep your distance to those who show these symptoms will help you.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – if your hands have touched a virus, it may be easily transmitted into your body
• Practice respiratory hygiene – try covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early – If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance whilst staying home. Remember to follow the directions of your local health professional.

Most importantly, remain calm. Whilst we understand that there is no current treatment for coronavirus, health professionals around the world are working toward eradicating this virus. The worst thing we can do is behave erratically (i.e. buy up a years’ supply of toilet paper) and hurt someone else. So please everyone, let’s get through this together!