How to deal with stress during the pandemic?
Stress negatively affects people's mental and physical health. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to manage it. Practical skills and techniques to better cope with stress were prepared by the World Health Organization Ukraine. In the WHO manual, you can find answers to the following questions: What influences our behavior and why do we start doing things that make our lives worse? How to learn to focus better and get involved in life? How to overcome an emotional storm? These techniques will help improve your emotional state, reduce anxiety, reduce stress levels, and strengthen your self-confidence despite unfavorable external circumstances. You can view or download the memo here https://cutt.ly/GlbcjG5
Can depression be a consequence of COVID-19?
One of the important and complex consequences of COVID-19 is depression. Depression is a disease, not a mood, not weakness, not a kind of laziness, not a lack of motivation and not fiction. Depression is different from mood changes. Melancholy can be overcomed by willpower, desire or even necessity - to get up and go to work, take out the dog, etc. Willpower and any external circumstances do not affect depression. The person is no longer able to overcome emotional downturns and has lost control of the situation.
Depression affects the physical condition of the body, mood and psyche of a person. The motivation to do something disappears, and it's not about goals for the year and their achievements, but about everyday things, such as getting out of bed, brushing your teeth. The desire to communicate with people and go out disappears. A sense of guilt, helplessness and loneliness appears. Life gradually loses its meaning.
Only a doctor can diagnose depression and its causes. Like any disease, depression can progress, but it is curable. The method is chosen by the doctor: psychotherapy, antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy.
Are UV lamps effective for disinfecting rooms where patients with COVID-19 were located?
The use of shielded UV irradiators is effective for decontaminating the air during infectious diseases that are transmitted by air. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is contained in fairly large drops of mucus, which are released during sneezing and coughing by a sick person and which are not in the air for a long time. Therefore, air disinfection with shielded UV irradiators does not affect the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Open UV irradiators can only be used as an additional method, after treating surfaces with disinfectant solutions.
What disinfection solutions are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
For disinfection in foci of contamination with the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, it is recommended to use disinfectants with specific activity against RNA-containing lipophilic viruses. It is determined during the state registration of the disinfectant. Observe the concentration of the disinfectant and the exposure time recommended by the manufacturer.
Chlorine-containing agents, hydrogen peroxide and disinfectants with an alcohol content of at least 60% are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
What can be the consequences after COVID-19?
One in five people after COVID-19 faces consequences related to a mental state - depression, sleep problems, and what is called fog in the head.
It is necessary to understand and accept the fact that all these are the consequences of the disease. After a serious illness, some everyday things may require more effort. Slowly return to your responsibilities at work. It is necessary to move more and be physically active, this has a positive effect on blood circulation and the brain because in this way it receives enough oxygen to restore the thought process. Take care of your basic needs again and don't forget to maintain social contacts.
Unfortunately, sometimes mental health problems are difficult to solve without appropriate treatment. If memory and thinking do not improve, fatigue does not go away, you need to seek medical help from your family doctor, with whom you signed a declaration. If necessary, they will schedule additional examinations or write out appointment for a consultation.
Is it possible to recover from COVID-19 right away?
Not always. Someone will not feel any discomfort for several weeks after COVID-19. Some may persist for many weeks after the acute infection has already passed. We are talking about the so-called “long COVID”.
In Ukraine, statistics on the symptoms of the long COVID are not kept. In the UK, approximately one in five people who tested positive for COVID-19 had symptoms lasting 5 weeks or longer, and one in ten had symptoms lasting 12 weeks or longer.
The most common long-term symptoms include: severe fatigue; shortness of breath, chest pain, joint pain; cough, headache, sore throat, changes in taste and smell; problems with memory and concentration; depression and anxiety, sleep disorders; palpitations; dizziness.
Now COVID-19 is considered as a disease that primarily affects the lungs, but the virus can damage many other organs. In particular, COVID-19 affects the heart, brain, and blood vessels, and this increases the risk of long-term health problems.
What test allows clarifying the fact of the earlier disease of COVID-19?
Antibody testing can detect the earlier disease, even if it was asymptomatic. Such tests are also known as serological tests, and they usually require blood samples that determine the level of antibodies produced in response to infection. In most people, antibodies begin to be produced between a few days and several weeks after infection, and their presence may indicate a previous infection. Antibody tests are not suitable for diagnosing COVID-19 shortly after infection or in the early stages of the disease, but they help to detect a previous illness.
Is it possible to get COVID-19 again and what measures should be taken to prevent re-infection?
Yes, re-infection is possible. While there is no scientifically proven evidence for the duration of immunity and the level of its intensity, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure to the virus. To do this, follow simple recommendations:
- wash your hands thoroughly and frequently for at least 40 seconds, if this is not possible — use antiseptics with an alcohol content of 60% or more;
- do not touch your face, especially your eyes, mouth, or nose;
- keep a physical distance of 1 meter from others;
- wear a mask in public buildings and structures and public transport, the mask should cover your nose and mouth;
- cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow or a disposable napkin;
- monitor your health, and if you experience symptoms of the disease, contact your doctor immediately.
- Where can I track up-to-date information about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the world?
- The main information resource is the official page of the World Health Organization, where a special repository of data and up-to-date instructions on epidemiological features, prevention and clinical management of the new coronavirus has been created. This information is updated daily.
- The website of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control provides information on the correct handling of high-and low-risk contacts.
- An online platform was also created to track up-to-date information about the new coronavirus on the Johns Hopkins University website.
What should I do when I get sick with COVID-19?
Consult your doctor by phone or online. If the temperature exceeds 38 C, call 103. Individual visit to the hospital increases the risk of infection of other people or the likelihood of getting infected yourself (if COVID-19 has not yet been confirmed). If it is not possible to contact your family doctor, please call the contact center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on COVID-19 issues for consultation 0 800 60 20 19 (calls are free).
The level of blood oxygen saturation (saturation) is the most objective indicator of the condition. Make an appointment with your doctor about the frequency of contacts (by phone or via messengers) to monitor your symptoms at all times. Oxygen support is required when the saturation index is below 95%. If you have this indicator, please contact your doctor to discuss further actions, or the contact center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on Covid-19 issues 0 800 60 20 19 (calls are free).
Will there be any fine for staying without a mask in public premises and transport?
Yes. According to the law "On amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses concerning the prevention of the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)" No. 1000-IX for staying without a mask in public premises and transport, the fine is from 170 to 255 UAH. Minors without masks will not be fined.
Compliance with quarantine measures on streets, parks, and other public places is controlled by employees of the National Police, National Guard and officials authorized by local self-government bodies, they conduct random document checks, and can make an electronic request whether a person needs self-isolation (in particular, on extending of the exceptions to a person provided for in paragraph 21 of the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1326 of 09.12.2020).
Are there any alternatives instead of 14-day self-isolation?
The easing of quarantine restrictions is designed to make the stay of foreigners, as well as Ukrainians from the temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine as comfortable as possible.
Instead of mandatory self-isolation through the “Vdoma” ("At home") app, on crossing the border or checkpoints, you can take a PCR test for the presence of COVID-19. If the result was negative and the person was not infected, it is not needed to self-isolate.
Is it possible to stop self-isolation ahead of schedule?
Yes. If you have returned from abroad or arrived from the temporarily occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea or Sevastopol, and are on self-isolation, you must pass a PCR test for COVID - 19. In case of a negative result, you can stop self-isolation. If a person who has had contact with a patient with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or a person with suspected infection or with a confirmed diagnosis of mild COVID-19, provided that the person does not require hospitalization, cannot stop self-isolation ahead of schedule without the decision of the attending physician.
What is the algorithm of actions to stop self-isolation?
- Choose your laboratory among those that have access to the electronic system of the Public Health Center of Ukraine List.
Please note! Laboratories that do not have access to the Public Health Center system cannot enter test results to cancel self-isolation. The list of institutions may change. View updates on the day you visit the selected lab.
- Fill in the consent form for data processing in the laboratory. If you have crossed the border in the last 14 days, please indicate this in the application form, along with the date of arrival in Ukraine. Specify the phone number that you used to install the "Act at Home" app.
3.The laboratory will enter the test result into the electronic system of the Public Health Center of Ukraine. Information is automatically synced with the "Act at Home" service.
4. If the result is negative, the "Act at Home" service will notify you of permission to stop self-isolation
Who controls self-isolation?
People who need self-isolation are required to constantly stay in a certain place of self-isolation, refrain from contact with other persons, except for those with whom they live together.
Current control over a person's stay in a place of self-isolation is carried out at the person's choice in one of the following ways: -
by employees of the National Police, the National Guard in accordance with the internal procedure for measures to control self-isolation, state institutions of the Ministry of Health of epidemiological profile, officials authorized by local self-government bodies; -
using the system through the mobile application "At Home".
People who need self-isolation are required to constantly stay in a certain place of self-isolation, refrain from contact with other persons, except for those with whom they live together.
Current control over a person's stay in a place of self-isolation is carried out at the person's choice in one of the following ways: -
by employees of the National Police, the National Guard in accordance with the internal procedure for measures to control self-isolation, state institutions of the Ministry of Health of epidemiological profile, officials authorized by local self-government bodies; -
using the system through the mobile application "At Home".
A person is considered to have chosen to carry out current control using the system via a mobile application from the moment of authorization in it. Until authorization, current control is carried out by employees of the National Police, the National Guard, state institutions of the Ministry of Health of epidemiological profile, officials, authorized local self-government bodies.
The current control with the use of system via mobile application is carried out using a set of information, in particular by checking the correspondence of the face photo to the reference photo taken during the installation of the mobile application, and the geolocation of the mobile phone at the time of photographing.
After installing the mobile app, the person receives a notification (push notification) at any time during the day. If the message is received, the person must take a photo of their face using the mobile app within 15 minutes.
In case of non-compliance with geolocation or photo, lack of communication with a person via a mobile application, deletion, or establishment of restrictions on the transmission of information via mobile application, a notification is sent to the National Police about the case of violation of the obligation to self-isolate. Sending a message is the basis for further exercise by the National Police and National Guard bodies of control over the fulfillment of the obligation to self-isolate.
Sending a message to the National Police bodies cannot be a separate basis for bringing a person to administrative responsibility for violating the quarantine rules.
The current control by employees of the National Police, the National Guard, state institutions of the Ministry of Health of epidemiological profile, officials, authorized local self-government bodies is carried out by checking the actual stay of persons at the self-isolation addresses indicated by them.