According to the Associated Press, as of March 3, 2020, worldwide, more than 92,000 people have been sickened by Covid-19 or the coronavirus, and 3,100 have died. However, more than half of those infected have already recovered, and 90 percent of those infected may or may not show symptoms but will not require hospitalization.
After all, like the common flu, it is a virus. And like the common flu, the majority will build antibodies and get over it.
The U.S. surgeon general Jerome Adams urged calm: "caution, preparedness, but not panic."
Health authorities including the CDC and WHO stress that the best defense against contracting any kind of virus is practicing basic hygiene like washing hands regularly and keeping hands away from your face.
With the national shortage of hand sanitizer, here's Tom's Guide to a simple, two-step process for making sure you have sanitizer always available in your home and ready to carry with you as you travel outside.
Here's how to make hand sanitizer at home, plus tips for using it properly.
Materials
- 2/3 cup 99% rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
- 1/3 cup 100% pure aloe vera gel
- Optional: 8-10 drops essential oil for smell
- Bowl and spoon
- Funnel
- An empty liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle
- Optional: Gloves
Directions
Step 1: Mix the rubbing alcohol, aloe vera and optional essential oil in a bowl with a spoon. Be careful to keep pure alcohol away from your skin.
Step 2: Funnel the mixture into the empty bottle. Screw the pump cap back on and voila, you have hand sanitizer.
Finally, make sure you stick to the 2:1 proportion to keep the alcohol content around 60%, followed by a little emollient to prevent drying.
Also, keep out of reach of small children: A 2015 analysis by the Georgia Poison Center found poison control center hotlines across the US had seen a nearly 400% increase in calls related to children younger than 12 ingesting the product. Ingesting even small amounts -- as little as two or three squirts in some cases -- can cause alcohol poisoning.
And remember: in the absence of these ingredients, the best way to prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus is still with good old water and soap. Wash your hands!!
Go here, for a DIY way to make your own surgical mask.
