To curb the spread of COVID-19, the national lockdown is extended until the end of April. There's no need to panic. By following the right advice, you can survive and even thrive at home.
Right now there's a dizzying amount of information out there. We reached out to Benoni-based general practitioner, Dr Magaseelan Pillay, for expert help. He's been in private practice since 2002 and owns and operates the Benoni Health Centre.
Dr Pillay, what can people do at home to keep the virus at bay?
The most effective strategy is washing your hands on a regular basis. If anyone at home becomes ill, they should seek medical help ASAP. If advised to, they should isolate immediately.
We've been hearing a lot about hand sanitisers. Which ones should be used?
Hand sanitisers are in huge demand at present. If you are buying them, ensure that they contain alcohol of at least 60%. There isn't a specific brand I'd advocate. However, be wary of people selling you stuff with no guarantees.
Here's a good trick: to test the authenticity of a sanitiser with alcohol, put a little on a plate and light it. If it burns, it contains alcohol. The longer it burns, the higher the concentration of alcohol.
For families, it can be difficult to enforce prevention strategies with children. What tips do you have for mums and dads?
Try to minimise the need to leave home. If you head out to the stores, leave your kids at home. If a child is ill at home, contact your family practitioner for advice. He/she may have protocols in place to manage pediatric cases and to minimise exposure time at his/her practice. At Benoni Health Centre, for example, we offer telephonic or WhatsApp consults to our patients.
In the instance when people go out, what precautions should they take?
You should only leave your home for a very valid reason. Always wear your masks and gloves. Maintain at least a 2m distance between individuals. 1.5m may not be enough. After you get home, do sanitise your gloves. In a public space, it's easy to forget how many things you've touched.
That's true. If a family member is affected, what should one do? How can one isolate them without the rest of the family being infected?
If a family member is infected, that person needs to be isolated at home. Of course, that should be the call of the diagnosing doctor. The rest of the family needs to be isolated as well for a period of 14 days. Should one become symptomatic, they will need to be investigated.
A home isolation can be difficult in a single-room home. However, there are facilities available to quarantine cases. If it's financially possible, the exposed family members should be investigated once a family member is diagnosed. They must then go into isolation - if one becomes symptomatic, they should be retested.
That's very helpful, Dr Pillay. Do you have any other advice or tips for people at home?
Please only leave home if it's urgent. At home, wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. Sanitising regularly and unnecessarily can be harmful to the skin but should be done when there is no soap around.
Despite this challenging time, Benoni is a wonderful place to live and work in. What do you love about the area?
Benoni is my home. The diversity of the people in the area makes Benoni a special place. It continues to be a place of growth. It truly supports local industries and small businesses. I believe it has huge potential for the future.
With dedicated medical practitioners and a wealth of healthcare centres, Benoni is the place to nest, rest, and invest in. As your local area experts, Century 21 East Rand has a number of beautiful properties for sale and to let. We can even get you pre-approved during the lockdown so it's easier to put an offer on your dream home. Talk to us today.