Create a household plan of action to help protect your health and the health of those you care about in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community:
Contamination on surfaces touched by employees and customers is one of the ways that COVID-19 spreads. Therefore, while at work, make sure to clean and sanitize surfaces (e.g. desks and tables) and objects (e.g. telephones, mouse, keyboards) and other surfaces (doorknobs, railings). These surfaces need to be wiped with a bleach and water solution or standard cleaning agents (e.g. disinfectant, or a bleach solution but not both) regularly.
The samples are being tested at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), which is the only (Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), approved laboratory in our country to test for the virus.
COVID-19, previously called the Novel Coronavirus, is a disease caused by a newly discovered strain of coronavirus which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which cause illness including the ‘common cold’. This virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes is called the “coronavirus disease 2019” or “COVID-19’ for short.
To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Also, avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing.