Macclesfield Express

HEALTH MATTERS

-

THE Men’s Health Forum is marking Men’s Health Week (June 15-21) by urging men to ‘Take action on COVID’.

They are asking men to take action to:

avoid spreading the virus

get the best out of lockdown and the ‘new normal’

beat ‘underlying conditions’.

The key messages are very simple: wash your hands and remember to socially distance.

Below are some of the key questions and answers in relation to coronaviru­s.

How do you catch coronaviru­s?

Through contact with someone who has it.

It’s a respirator­y disease that affects the lungs and breathing, it spreads through water droplets in coughs and sneezes.

The droplets can live on surfaces for days; it just depends on the surface and the temperatur­e.

Viruses survive longer in colder environmen­ts and that’s why we have more respirator­y ailments (such as colds and flu) in winter.

Symptoms of coronaviru­s?

The three main symptoms are high temperatur­e, new continuous cough and loss of taste or smell.

How can you best avoid it?

Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap. Do this often, especially when you get home or to work. Only touch your face with clean hands.

Clean hands with alcohol-based sanitiser gel (60-80% alcohol preferably) if there’s no soap and water

Cough or sneeze into a tissue (and bin it immediatel­y). If there’s no alternativ­e, use your sleeve (but remember viruses can live for days on clothing). Wash hands as soon as you can.

Avoid touching door handles and switches - use gloves, extend your sleeve or use your foot, hip, elbow or parts of your hand you’re unlikely to touch to your face (e.g. your knuckle or closed fist)

Keep 2m away from others - if you’re in a space where this might be difficult, consider a face covering.

If you’d like any more informatio­n please visit: https://www.menshealth­fo rum.org.uk/mhw

 ??  ?? Dr Andrew Wilson, clinical chair of NHS Cheshire Clinical Commission­ing Group
Dr Andrew Wilson, clinical chair of NHS Cheshire Clinical Commission­ing Group

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom