Video Transcript

There’s a lot of uncertainty and concern surrounding Coronavirus at the moment. For most people, if you catch Coronavirus, it will be mild. But for older people, and people with underlying health conditions, Coronavirus could be really serious.

The good news is, you can protect yourself and others, by adopting the following measures. Even if you’re not likely to be seriously affected by Coronavirus yourself, you can prevent it being passed on to someone who could be.

First up, is more frequent hand washing. The more you wash your hands, the less likely you are to spread the virus to other people. So, if you know you’ll be in close proximity to others, wash your hands beforehand. If you’ve been out in a public place, or been on public transport, wash your hands as soon as you can afterwards. Here’s Deb, our Executive Care Manager, to take you through the art of thorough hand washing.

Ideally, you want to wash your hands with soap and water and spend at least 20 seconds to get them really clean. Focus on all parts of your hand, not just your palm. The backs of your hands, around the nails and the nail bed, in-between the fingers, wrists, and your thumbs. When you’re done, turn the tap off using a tissue, and put it in the bin. Anti-bacterial hand sanitisers do also work, but washing thoroughly with soap and water is the better option. Secondly, it’s important to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, because that’s the way the virus could get into your body. This is easier said than done, so clean hands are also important here to reduce your risk in case you do subconsciously touch your face.

Next up, it’s important to catch your coughs and sneezes. Coronavirus is spread by airborne droplets that come out of your nose and mouth. So when you cough or sneeze, catch them with a disposable tissue, and then throw the tissue in the bin, and wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue handy, sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow, like so. That way, the germs are away from your hands, and you’re less likely to pass them on.

In general, the less you can touch things - like lift buttons, handrails and door handles - the less likely you are to catch the virus or to spread it on to someone else.

The last important thing to note, is to stay away from people who are unwell, or who have recently arrived back from overseas.

If you’ve been coughing, or you have a high temperature, or you’re short of breath, don’t go anywhere, especially not to the hospital, pharmacy, or doctor’s. Instead, call your GP, or the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080 and they can advise you on the next steps.

If you are required to self isolate, please don’t panic.

We are keeping updated with Government advice and information as it unfolds.

The constantly changing information and recommendations can be overwhelming, but the foundation of infection control remains the same. At Focus, our primary goal has always been to support people to live their best life in their own home. So if you have any concerns or questions, or if you’re not sure what to do, please get in touch with us. Thank you, and take care.