With Coronavirus advancing across the world, people are seeking coronavirus tips on how to protect themselves from contracting it.

WHO has already declared COVID-19 a pandemic and as it becomes widespread, taking precaution is no longer an option.

Governments across the world have put in place various preventive measures.

As an individual, you should adopt protective steps not only to keep yourself safe but also to protect others.

This way, you’ll also reduce the chances of spreading the disease to others. In this article, we shall discuss effective tips to help you stay safe. 

How Likely Are You To Get The Coronavirus? 

Anyone is vulnerable to the coronavirus.

However, some groups of people are at a higher risk of experiencing severe complications from the virus and will need hospitalization.

People who contract Covid-19 will get flu or cold-like symptoms. Still, some people remain asymptomatic.

Regardless of where you belong, limiting the spread of the disease is everybody’s responsibility. What can you do to be on the safe side?

1. Practice Frequent Hand Washing

Thorough and regular hand washing has been said to be one of the most effective methods of keeping this virus at bay.

Wash your hands thoroughly and correctly with soap under running water for at least 20 minutes.

If you’re stuck in instances where handwashing isn’t possible, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), regular hand washing is the best way to bar the spread of infectious diseases. 

2. Stay Home

Following recommendations from the WHO and CDC, governments across the globe are encouraging people to stay home or work from home where possible.

It’s worth mentioning that not everybody is privileged enough to work from home.

What’s more, people will still need to go out in search of gas and groceries.

There are various preventive measures you can take to protect yourself and others as we shall see below. 

·         Rather than Using Fingertips, use Your Knuckles, Elbows, Feet, and Knees 

If you’re still pushing buttons for lifts with your fingertips you need to stop.

Do you have to push a button, pull a lever, or sign for something digitally?

Use a different part of your body such as the knuckles. You can easily push a door open with your foot, hip, or shoulder.

Further, you can flip on a sink faucet or light switch using your wrist or elbow.

If you must use your hand to open doors, why not wrap a handkerchief around the door handle? 

·         Don’t Go Placing Your Phone Anywhere

Currently, more people are using disinfecting wipes to clean their phones.

However, you want to be cautious about where you place your phone.

For instance, you don’t have to carry your phone to the bathroom.

Avoid exposing your gadgets to heavily shared surfaces and you’ll have little to worry about.

If you have to use your phone in a shared place consider setting your phone on a napkin.

This way, you won’t have to disinfect it regularly.

·         Observe the Way you Shop

Carry your own washed plastic bags, totes, or mesh bags for your produce.

These come in handy seeing that you’re the only one who’ll be handling them.

What’s more, you won’t have to touch the commonly used shopping cart or basket.

If you have to use a store’s shopping carts or baskets, wash your hands thoroughly and wipe the carts with sanitizing wipes.

Further, you want to wash your hands thoroughly on reaching home. 

·         Avoid Sorting Through Produce Using Bare Hands

If you’ll be sorting through farm produce in the market try to insert your hand inside a bag which you can use as a glove.

Always wash and sanitize your shopping bags after shopping.

Remember to wash your hands and produce thoroughly when you get home from shopping.

·         Carry Extra Facial Tissue, Disinfecting Wipes, And Napkins

You can always use your disinfecting wipes to wipe out your hands or surfaces.

Napkins come in handy as a barrier between your phone and a surface.

For instance when opening a highly shared door handle. 

·         Minimize Handling of Cash

According to experts, the highest risk of contracting coronavirus is through person to person transmission.

However, highly shared surfaces can conceal the virus. To be on the safe side try using paperless payments. 

·         Avoid Touching Eyes, Nose And Mouth

Hands touch numerous surfaces from where they’re exposed to viruses.

With contaminated hands, you can easily transfer the virus to your mouth, nose, and eyes.

You may get sick when the virus finally penetrates through the body.

This explains why frequent hand washing is critical. 

3. Practice Respiratory Hygiene

Ensure that you and your loved ones adhere to strict respiratory hygiene practices.

This means you should cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your bent elbow.

Dispose of used tissue immediately because droplets spread the coronavirus.

Sticking to proper respiratory hygiene is crucial for protecting people around you from different viruses such as the flu, cold, and Covid-19. 

4. Seek Immediate Medical Care if you Feel Sick

Some of the symptoms you should be on the lookout for include: difficulty in breathing, a dry cough, and high fever.

In case of these signs seek medical advice immediately.

You want to call in advance before visiting the medical facility and they’ll guide you accordingly.

Remember, local and national authorities have an up to date data on the state of the virus in your area.

Calling in advance helps health care providers to direct you to the ideal health facility. This way, you won’t spread the virus or infections to other people.

Remember, you should be up to date with the latest information about the coronavirus.

Follow the advice from both local and national public health authorities and your healthcare provider.

This will help you know how best to protect yourself and others. 

5. Adhere to Guidelines from your Local Public Health Officials

Recently many cities, counties, and states put in place individual protective measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Nearly all private and public schools in all affected countries have since closed down.

Youth, college, and professional sports programs have been suspended until the situation stabilizes.

Summer camping activities are also currently on hold.

Bars and restaurants have either closed down or are allowed to operate for limited hours only.

Staff working in nonessential businesses has been told to either stay home or work from home.

If your local government or city has enforced guidelines it’s always good to adopt and follow them to the letter. 

6. Improve Your Immune System

One of the best prevention measures to protect yourself and avoid spreading coronavirus is by securing your immune system.

You can fight off disease better when your immune system is strong.

Experts say this is the ideal time to target health practices that you may have been overlooking before.

Adopt food choices and daily practices that boost your health. Convert them into habits that will boost your health.

This is the time you should be getting sufficient sunlight, fresh air, and sleep. Cut down on processed foods and stay well hydrated.  

7. Practice Social Distancing

Maintain a 1-meter distance between you and anyone who’s sneezing or coughing.

This is because when someone coughs small liquid droplets escape from their mouth or nose and they could contain the virus.

When you’re too close there are high chances that you’ll inhale the droplets and become sick as.

During this time people are becoming cautious and social distancing here involves the following scenarios.

8. Avoid Handshakes

Refrain from meeting family members or friends in person. Maintain a boundary between you and the next person whenever you go out.

Remember, social distancing is something you should when: you’re in the waiting line at the grocery store, or walking along the streets.

If you must go to the restaurant the best practice is to buy your food and leave or have it delivered.

Whenever you feel that the person next to you is too close: you can either take some steps behind or politely ask them to move. 

Bonus Tip

·         Remain as Calm as Possible

Amid the uncertainty that’s surrounded the entire world; the best way to cope is by remaining calm.

Remember, anxiety and increased stress levels can harm your immune system. This is not what you want to be struggling with at this time.

Are you feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the situation? Here are tips to help you relax. 

• Consume as minimal information as possible

• Find other things to keep yourself occupied

• Remember there’s nothing much you can do to change the situation. Only focus on what you can do to keep yourself safe

• Allow yourself time to worry about the whole situation. Ignoring your thoughts about the pandemic only worsens an already bad condition

• Discuss your worries with non-judgmental friends and family members

Finally

Cleaning and disinfecting highly touched surfaces is a critical step.

Adopt is in your workplace and home to protect your loved ones and others from exposure to the coronavirus.

Some of these areas include?

Light switches, doorknobs, tables, shared computers and office desks, vehicle doors, and countertops.

When surfaces are dirty clean them with soap or detergent and water before disinfecting.

If you’re sick wear a facemask before visiting a medical facility. 

Book for your next winter camp and enjoy fun activities with attendants from different parts of the world.

Spring brings about some of the most ideal opportunities to engage in outdoor-related activities such as camping and hiking.

During this time, the weather becomes warmer, animals come out of their hibernation, and trees start blooming.

Still, spring can be a shifty and challenging time to go camping filled with unpredictable conditions.

Should you choose to go camping in spring, you will need proper preparation and practical expectations. You don’t want to get trapped in a cold and soggy situation.

If you are considering going camping during spring here are some tips to help you maximize your experience. 

1.      Pack Extra Changes of Footwear and Clothes

Drizzling during spring can bar you from enjoying your camping trip.

However, you can counter these with simple prior preparations. For instance, if the weather forecast indicates bad weather you will need to pack additional clothing and footwear.

This way, you will have something to keep you warm as well as extra clothes to wear should yours become muddy or wet.

Boots can be ideal for wet conditions but they can become muddy.

An extra pair of footwear will come in handy especially in the evening when you retire from the day’s activities. 

2.      Inspect Your Gear

Get your gear out of storage and check to ensure everything is in good working order.

Even when your gear has been in storage for some time, chances are that you will notice problems you hadn’t seen before.

Inspect the tent for holes and mold and make sure all the tent stakes and poles are in place.

Check your lamps to ensure they are operational before charging them. Have new batteries for your flashlights and where possible carry extra pieces to be on the safe side.

Check whether your camping stove ignites and works well and fill your gas tank. Apart from inflating your mattress, you may need to use it for a night.

This will help you establish whether it has holes or is leaking.

Starting your preparations early gives you enough time to either replace or repair your gear before the onset of spring.

What’s more, replacing worn out and old gear in winter is ideal if you’re looking for exciting deals.

Should you purchase new gear, you will need to inspect and try it before you can use it.

3.      Make Arrangements for Healthy and Hot Meals

Having proper nutrition while on camp is essential.

Remember; spring falls right after winter and sometimes it can get overly cold especially at night.

You want to have proper arrangements for your meals. For instance, you could prepare healthy curries and soups in advance and freeze them.

Pack them and heat them on your camp stove once you arrive at your destination.

Be sure to consume hot beverages such as porridge frequently. Instant porridge bowls come in handy for camping especially in the morning.

If you hardly like cooking, you can purchase specially designed frozen meals for camping from your nearest store.

All you will need to have them ready for consumption is hot water.

Remember, consuming hot meals is important for campers during extremely cold temperatures. 

4.      Be Prepared to Deal with Moisture

Spring can be unpredictable more so when it comes to moisture.

Remember, at this time snow is still melting and this can make trails muddy and impassable.

Sometimes finding a dry and flat spot to put up a tent can be an arduous task. Sudden rains in the afternoon can make the nights overly cold.

If you’re going for spring camping you may want to pack some of your winter gear just to be on the safe side.

Dress appropriately, in layers, and avoid cotton clothes as much as possible especially if it’s raining.

Carry additional clothes to cater for unpredictable weather and include gloves, water-resistant clothes, and a warm winter-appropriate hat.

Beware that it would rain during your camping session and waterproof your gear to keep your essentials dry.

Always sleep on a raised platform to prevent moisture from seeping in your sleeping bag through the base of your tent.

In case you feel cold be sure to exhale out of the sleeping bag to prevent the build-up of moisture. 

5.      Beware of the Wildlife and Watch the Trails

Remember there’s increased animal activity during spring as they come out of hibernation.

Animals such as bears, elk, deer, and goats will be out in search of food while others will be giving birth.

Remember to give way to animals. Reach out to a park ranger should you notice a wounded animal and resist any temptation to help their young ones.

Many times their mothers will be close by and they can be dangerous. Maintain a clean campsite to avoid attracting animals.

Exercise extra caution when walking along the trails especially if you’re going spring camping for the first time.

Chances are that they could be different than they were during winter. They could be wet, muddy, and sometimes washed away.

It’s always advisable to wear waterproof shoes when traversing trails you’re unfamiliar with.

Be on the lookout for the growth of new, poisonous, and delicate flora such as poison ivy. 

6.      Prepare for Muddy and Soft Pitches

Chances are that the ground will remain waterlogged between March and April.

You may end up putting up your tent in soft and muddy places making it weak in case of heavy winds.

This is where a good quality groundsheet will come in handy. It will prevent your tent from getting overly muddy.

You will also need to use good quality tent pegs. 

7.      Monitor the Weather Forecast

Monitor the weather forecast before embarking on your spring camping trip. Remember, spring is marred by uncertain weather patterns.

Don’t be surprised to experience cold nights after a sunny day. Sometimes you could encounter heavy rains.

Spring nights are often cold and you want to pack appropriate clothing. Apart from dressing in layers, be sure to pack all-weather appropriate sleeping bags.

A properly insulated sleeping bag specially designed to help you manage temperatures below 40 degrees will be appropriate.

Utilize a sleeping pad to create a distance between the wet or cold ground and your body.

Ensure the tent you choose can withstand low temperatures and strong winds.

8.      Have a Trial Run

Prepare a list of all the things you will need for your inaugural spring camping trip.

Pack your equipment and have and have a trial run at local state park or campground. Set everything whether you will use them or not.

This will help you establish whether or not all your gear is in good working condition. Ensure your new equipment works well collectively.

You want to avoid a situation where your air mattress doesn’t fit in your tent for instance. Find out whether or not you are comfortable with the sleeping arrangements.

Establish what you need to change or upgrade to make your spring camping trip a success.

If you’re a frequent camper, there could be something you wish to change from the last time you camped.

Try out your arrangement until you are satisfied.

Assess your list often, striking down things you don’t need to avoid over packing and replacing what needs to be replaced. 

9.      Carry Extra Bedding to Keep You Warm at Night

As we’ve mentioned before, nights can get overly cold in spring and you will need more bedding to keep you warm and comfy.

One of the best things about spring camping at Les Elfes is that there are ready beddings for hire.

If you either forget to pack some, or it gets colder than you had anticipated, you can be assured that help will be a call away.

You may want to have thermal clothing to wear when going to bed and a thermal blanket for extra warmth.

Do you tend to feel abnormally cold?

If you do, you can opt to use your chunky fleece pajamas and thermal clothing together with a hot water bottle.

Include a hat and gloves for added protection and warmth.

If you are an RV camper, packing extra blankets that you will not use is better than freezing for lack of enough bedding. 

10.  Beware of the Bugs

Be prepared for bugs.

For instance, spring often comes with stagnant water which becomes a breeding ground for black flies and mosquitoes.

You may want to wear clothes that cover your entire body well such as long-sleeved shirts and trousers.

Where possible wrap a shawl around your neck and wear socks and boots. Always sleep under a treated mosquito net.

This will not only keep the mosquitoes away but it will also keep other bugs at bay and help you sleep peacefully.

Some people opt to use bug repellant or spray while others don’t. Inspect your tent for ticks before retiring to bed.

Spring camping at Les Elfes presents you with a vast range of things to do. What’s more, there are measures in place to protect campers from bugs.

Prepare for a lifetime experience without having to worry about pesky bugs. 

Finally

Spring camping may not be as popular as summer and winter camping trips. However, it can be exciting with proper preparations.

If you are yet to go spring camping expedition, perhaps you should start preparing for one this coming season.

One of the best things about camping during spring is that there are fewer crowds.

This means you will almost have the entire campsite for yourselves. Further, you will have a great time exploring new adventures without having to worry about congestion.