Hoax in the name of UNICEF?
Is there any truth behind the notice being circulated in the name of UNICEF?
The answer is a big NO.
Its a fake notice.
UNICEF officials have themselves refuted the false claim that the agency released coronavirus prevention guidelines.
Lets have an evaluation of the statements given in the notice.
❌️1. ️”Corona virus is large in size where the cell diameter is 400-500 micro and for this reason any mask prevents its entry”
✔️Corona virus spreads through droplets which come out when the patient sneezes, coughs or blows his nose. The purpose of a mask is to prevent the entry of these droplets and not the individual virus as such.
Corona virus has a diameter of around 0.1 micron. Surgical mask allows entry to particles with a maximum diameter of 5 microns and N95 upto 0.3 micron. N95 mask provides better protection than other ordinary masks.
❌️2. “The virus doesn’t settle in the air but is grounded, so it is not transmitted by air”
✔️Corona virus spreads through droplet. Droplet transmission occurs when the microbes travel on respiratory droplets that people sneeze, cough or exhale.The droplets can come in contact with the nose, eyes or mouth through air to another person in close proximity and can result in spread of the infection.
The droplets of course settles on some material or surface within around a metre, and do not last long in the air unlike air borne transmission. However, the virus can remain alive on these surfaces for hours to days and a person who touches the surface can acquire the infection through his contaminated hand, which later gets in contact with his face or nose. This is called fomite or indirect droplet transmission.
❌️3.”Corona when it falls on a metal surface, it will live for 12 hours, so washing with soap and water is enough ”
✔️Corona group of viruses may survive for hours to days outside the human body. This depends on several factors including the type of surface, temperature and humidity.
A preliminary study on this matter has revealed that the virus can survive on copper for upto 4 hours, card board for 1 day and plastic or steel for upto 3 days.
Hence, the virus can spread by fomite transmission on touching these surfaces with hands and subsequently touching the face. So, avoid touching your face unnecessarily and wash your hands frequently.
❌️4. ” Corona virus when it falls on the fabric remains for 9 hours, so washing clothes or being exposed to the sun for two hours meets the purpose of killing it. ”
✔️Fabrics which came in contact with the patient need to be disinfected with bleach solution, mere exposure to sunlight for 2 hours is unlikely to kill the virus.
❌️5. “The virus lives on the hands for 10 minutes, so putting an alcohol sterilizer in the pocket meet the purpose of prevention ”
✔️Keeping alcohol sanitizer in your pocket cannot protect you from the virus unless you perform appropriate hand hygiene methods frequently and adequately. The hand sanitizer need to contain atleast 60% alcohol and has to rubbed on the hand for a minimum of 20 seconds following the different steps of hand hygiene as recommended by WHO.
❌️6. “If the virus is exposed to a temperature of 26-27 degree celsius, it will be killed, as it doesn’t live in hot regions also, drinking hot water and sun exposure will do the trick and stay away from ice cream and eating cold is important. ”
✔️The new corona virus Covid 19 can be transmitted in hot and humid climates. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you are living in or travelling to a place reposting COVID 19, says World Health Organization (WHO).
The human body temperature is 37 degree Celsius and we have seen that virus survives at this temperature which is much more than the 26-27 degree Celsius mentioned in the notice. Moreover, the places like Kerala, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia where the environmental temperature is higher than this have also experienced an outbreak.
Drinking water and exposure to sunlight are good for health, but both have no role in preventing corona virus infection.
Infection occurs when the microbe enters the human body through droplets from a patient. Eating or not eating ice cream has no relation with acquiring or not acquiring the infection.
❌️7. “Gargle with warm and salt water kills the tonsils germs and prevents them from leaking into the lungs”
✔️Saline gargle also has no role in preventing disease transmission.
❌️8. “Adherance to these instructions fulfils the purpose of preventing the viruses.”
✔️All the statements in this notice are factually incorrect . This is probably the creation of an antisocial mind. Believing and spreading such messages will only risk your and your dear ones lives.
The best way to keep yourself away from COVID 19 is by frequently cleaning your hands, says WHO.
?Stay away from fake news.
?Follow the official website of authentic organization like WHO for authentic information on health related matters.
?Keep following Info clinic to know the truth behind fake messages.
?Stay away from Corona, stay safe…