AN ALLIED AFRICA IS
A PROSPEROUS AFRICA  

 

This page includes advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), a prominent public health organization. Advice on ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The attachments below guide general and specific topics related to the pandemic.

 

The COVID-19 vaccines are designed to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The vaccines are doses of hope and our best shot of eradicating the pandemic and getting life back to “normal.” Getting the COVID-19 vaccine(s) is an easy step you can take to protect others and help keep you, your family, and your community safe.

 

COVID-19 Variants:

 

According to WHO, viruses constantly change through mutation, and sometimes these mutations result in new variants of the virus. Some variants emerge and disappear while others persist. As new variants emerge, public health organizations will continue to monitor all variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 nationally and internationally.

 

Find out more about getting vaccinated:

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• Advice for the public: COVID-19 vaccines

 

Keep yourself and others safe: Do it all!

Protect yourself and those around you:

• Get vaccinated as soon as it is your turn and follow local guidance on vaccination.

• Keep physical distance of at least three feet from others, even if they don’t appear to be sick. Avoid crowds and close contact.

• Wear a properly fitted mask when physical distancing is not possible and in poorly ventilated settings.

• Clean your hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of used tissues immediately and clean hands regularly. 

• If you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, self-isolate until you recover.

 

Wear a mask properly:

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To properly wear your mask

• Make sure your mask covers your nose, mouth, and chin.

• Clean your hands before you put your mask on, before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.

• When you take off your mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask or dispose of it in a trash bin if it’s a medical mask.

• Don’t use masks with valves.

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More about masks:

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• When and how to wear masks

• Questions and answers about children and masks

• Guidance for decision makers and health workers

 

Make your environment safer:

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The risks of getting COVID-19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in proximity.

Outbreaks have been reported in places where people have gathered, often in crowded indoor settings and where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing such as restaurants, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices and places of worship.

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To make your environment as safe as possible:

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• Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded, or involve close contact.

• Meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in.

• If you can’t avoid crowded or indoor settings, take these precautions:

  • Open a window to increase the amount of natural ventilation when indoors.

  • Wear a mask (see above for more details).

More on:

• Small public gatherings

• Ventilation and air conditioning (for the general public)

• Ventilation and air conditioning (for people who manage public spaces and buildings) 

 

Keep good hygiene:

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By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses that cause colds, flu, and COVID-19. 

To ensure good hygiene you should:

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with either an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. This eliminates germs that may be on your hands, including viruses.

• Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands.

• Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently, especially those which are regularly touched, such as door handles, faucets, and phone screens.

 

What to do if you feel unwell:

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If you feel unwell, here’s what to do. 

• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Call by telephone first and follow the directions of your local health authority.

• Know the full range of symptoms of COVID-19. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, tiredness and loss of taste or smell. Less common symptoms include aches and pains, headache, sore throat, red or irritated eyes, diarrhea, a skin rash or discoloration of fingers or toes.

• Stay home and self-isolate for 10 days from symptom onset, plus three days after symptoms cease. Call your health care provider or hotline for advice. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house or have someone near you, wear a properly fitted mask to avoid infecting others.

• Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Local and national authorities and public health units are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

 

Stay aware of the latest COVID-19 information by regularly checking updates from WHO in addition to national and local public health authorities. For WHO's previous versions of the technical brief, please click on the links below. The current version of all the information and publications is considered authoritative.

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• 28 November 2021 (updated 29 November with minor editorial corrections)

• 10 December 2021 (updated from the last version published on 28 November 2021)

• 17 December 2021 (updated from the last version published on 10 December 2021)

• 23 December 2021 (updated from the last version published on 29 November 2021)

• 7 January 2022 (updated from previous version, published 23 December 2021)

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