How to protect yourself from the new coronavirus

Preventative measures are your first line of defense. The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to practice good hygiene and to make these CDC recommendations part of your routine:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, rather than into your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Visit the CDC for guidelines on how to properly wash your hands and use hand sanitizer. (Yes, there’s plenty of science behind this basic habit.)

You may have noticed a growing number of people out and about with their faces covered, but the CDC does not currently recommend the use of face masks among the general public.

As noted above, face masks should be used by people who show COVID-19 symptoms to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of face masks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

The CDC recommends maintaining a distance of approximately 6 feet from others in public places since respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing do not travel more than 6 feet. While at home, remind everyone to practice everyday preventive actions – such as washing hands and wiping down surfaces – to help reduce the risk of getting sick. If you are symptomatic and have tested positive for COVID-19 but do not require hospitalization, you should stay in a specific “sick room” and away from other people in your home as much as possible and use a separate bathroom, if available. If your living space makes it difficult to keep a 6-foot distance, stay as far apart as you can and continue to practice good hygiene and wear a mask.

Many states have put out the call for individuals to stay home, except to make essential trips to the grocery store, pharmacy or for some outdoor exercise.

The CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China, Iran, most European countries, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Most foreign nationals who have been in one of these countries during the previous 14 days will not be allowed to enter the United States. “For people at risk for the complications of COVID-19, such as those with underlying medical conditions or those who are older, it’s prudent to avoid any long-distance travel,” says Dr. Goldberg.

Stay up to date with CDC’s travel health notices related to this outbreak.

Rest assured, NewYork-Presbyterian is following the situation closely and implementing all recommendations provided by our local and state departments of health and the CDC. Our medical staff is trained to recognize patients who may have COVID-19 and to keep the new virus from spreading.

We understand how important the support of loved ones and friends is to patients during their hospital stay. At the same time, the new coronavirus requires NewYork-Presbyterian to temporarily adjust our visiting policy in order to keep our patients and visitors safe from infection. Please see our updated visitor guidelines.

For more information on the evolving situation and how to protect yourself from coronavirus, visit the CDC and check NewYork-Presbyterian for more updates.