Greetings to everyone,

A respected member of the Mexican American community sent me the following information received from Chinese doctors who have been working on the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China. This information has been translated from Chinese to Spanish and is now being provided in English to help with our handling of the current coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 here in North America.

Because we as a human family share identical needs when it comes to protecting our health. We at Mexican American News are passing this information on immediately. But, before giving this information that the Chinese have been sharing, it must be mentioned that we are merely publishers of the news and not medically trained professionals. Therefore, should you have any concerns about the following advice, it is very important that you discuss the following recommendations with your own physician.

Also, before sharing this information from the Chinese, I would like to remind everyone on the everyday preventive actions that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) here in the U.S. has been recommending. They are these:

MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19 FROM THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)

1) Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet away from all other people when in public – and especially avoid close contact with people who are sick. Know that some people who are infected with the virus are not showing symptoms. They can be spreading the virus without even knowing that they have it themselves. It usually takes 14 days for the symptoms to show up if at all.

2) If you are sick or exhibiting symptoms of anything - stay at home. Only go outside of your home to receive medical care.

3) Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw this tissue into the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or inner elbow area - but not in your hands.

4) Wash your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds. Do this especially after: blowing your nose; coughing; sneezing; or going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food. 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 as a preferred method and especially if your hands are visibly dirty.

5) Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects . This means thoroughly clean things like tables, countertops, light switches, handrails, doorknobs, and cabinet handles, etc. The virus is known to stay present on containers such as plastic bags, reusable bags, and cardboard boxes for a several hours and sometimes up to several days depending on the conditions.

Again, while most of us are already aware of this advice being given by the CDC, the Chinese have been finding some additional measures that are having a tremendous impact on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in their country. As a result of these preventative measures, they have also brought down the death rate in their country dramatically. This is an important fact that we can all learn from.

Thanks to the Chinese doctors that have been performing autopsies on bodies of the deceased, they currently have a much greater understanding of the COVID-19 virus. This virus is characterized by obstructing respiratory pathways with a thick mucus that solidifies and then blocks the airways and lungs. They have discovered that in order to apply any medications, an opening and un-blocking of these airways must first occur so that any treatments can begin to take effect. All of this does take several days.

It has been discovered that the coronavirus most easily enters the human body through our mouth, our nostrils, and our eyes. It is for this reason that you are hearing to not touch any of these areas with your hands. Once the virus enters the system this way, it will remain or fester within the throat for 3 or 4 days before it passes into the lungs. Because of this acquired knowledge, in order to protect yourself, the Chinese doctors are recommending to practice the following measures:

DAILY PROTECTIVE MEASURES AND ADVICE FROM CHINESE DOCTORS WORKING AGAINST COVID-19

1) Drink lots of hot liquids. Coffees, soups, teas or just plain warm water. If possible, take a sip of warm water every 20 minutes. This will keep your mouth moist and wash away any of the virus that has entered your mouth and into your stomach where the gastric juices will neutralize it before it can get into your lungs.

2) Gargle with an antiseptic in warm water like vinegar or salt and lemon every day if possible.

3) The virus attaches itself to hair and clothes. Any detergent or soap will kill it. So, you must wash your clothes immediately when first getting in from the street or as soon as possible. But you must also take a shower after having any kind of prolonged exposure to the outside world. Avoid sitting down when first getting home so you don’t contaminate any furniture and go straight into the bathroom to shower. If you cannot wash your clothes immediately, if possible, hang your clothes in direct sunlight. Exposure to direct sunlight can also neutralize the virus.

4) Wash metallic surfaces thoroughly because the virus can remain present and infectious on these hard surfaces for up to 9 days. Take careful note to be especially vigilant about touching handrails and door handles or anything that is often touched by other human hands.

5) Don’t smoke.

6) Wash your hands every 20 minutes using any soap that foams. Do this for 20 seconds washing all of your hands completely.

7) Eat fruits and vegetables, especially greens. In addition to boosting vitamin C levels which most people already know helps to prevent catching the common cold, try to elevate your zinc levels as well. Zinc is vital for a healthy immune system.

8) Animals do not spread the virus to people. This is a human to human transmission.

9) Try to avoid getting the flu or catching a cold. Stay warm whenever outside. Also avoid eating and drinking cold things. Stick to hot foods and hot beverages whenever possible.

10) Again, once the virus enters the human body it will remain within the throat for 3 or 4 days before it passes into the lungs. So, if you feel any discomfort in your throat or a sore throat coming on, attack it immediately using the above methods.

Good luck to everyone. Take good care of yourself and please do pass this information on if you wish.

Many of these recommendations have been repeated from various sources – so it appears to be quite reasonable to think of the above measures as very credible advice. As of late, the CDC and other medical professionals have also been recommending the use of cloth masks in public. The Chinese as you probably know, have already been doing this for a while.

I hope this information is helpful and proves to be useful.

Be smart and stay inside to be safe. As always, peace through unity. ~ Angel ~