Milwaukee VA Medical Center
Mom knows best: Here's how you stop the spread
Wearing a mask can help stop the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo by Matthew Cade)
“Wash your hands! Cover your mouth when you cough!”
As children, we all heard these reprimands from our parents so often we probably stopped listening.
But these parental words of wisdom have never been more important with the coronavirus pandemic.
“To ensure the safety and protection of others, there are some guidelines we should all follow to prevent the risk of exposure, infection and spread of viruses,” said Gaylyn Raduenz, a registered nurse and infection control practitioner at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center.
“You can all do this with the use of masks, hand hygiene and physical and spatial distancing,” she said.
COVID-19 can be transmitted at an early stage of infection. Anyone can be a carrier, even if they have few or no symptoms.
“Cough masks and cloth face coverings aid in the prevention spreading droplets from your mouth and nose,” said Raduenz. If everyone uses a mask, everyone is better protected from the virus.
Physically and spatially distancing yourself from others is also an important preventative measure. According to Raduenz, the CDC recommends a six-foot distance due to the tendency of a virus droplet to fall to the ground before reaching another person if there is a distance of at least six feet between two people.
As Wisconsin state stay-at-home orders begin to expire in the coming weeks, maintaining social distancing will be crucial in preventing another coronavirus spike.
“In Wisconsin, I think people are doing a very good job with social distancing,” said Dr. Nathan Gundacker, infectious disease specialist at the Milwaukee VA. He has been at the forefront with Raduenz in the COVID-19 response.
“As we go on, I think it’s going to be social isolation measures that are going to be the key to all of this,” he said. “Doing a rollout, and reopening the economy slowly is going to be the key to keeping everyone safe.”
Hand hygiene is also extremely important because if you happen to touch a surface with virus-laden droplets, these droplets can be scrubbed away by washing your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds with normal soap and water. If soap and water are not available, an excellent alternative is alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which also kills the virus.
Frequent hand washing throughout the day is highly recommended, especially after touching surfaces that are commonly used by others, such as door handles, light switches and elevator buttons.
Hand hygiene, wearing a mask, and maintaining social distancing are the key to stopping the spread of coronavirus. As people learn to live in a world where COVID-19 exists, all of these things will become easier.
Together we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by remembering to follow these simple guidelines.
