The rainy season brings cozy weather into our house and lots. It is a good time to sip a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or even a bowl of hot soup while wrapped in your favorite jacket or sweatshirt. But rainy seasons have their dangers as well.
The Philippines is prone to typhoons that bring heavy rain and flood. This, in turn, makes traveling to work inconvenient. Whether you are a student or a member of the workforce, everybody is affected by surges and traffic jams.
Aside from taking detours just to get on time to work, you must also prepare for what the weather can do to your health, especially with the double threat of rainy season illnesses and the pandemic.
The World Health Organization warns the public of a more contagious strain of Covid-19, the Delta Variant. This variant is a more contagious one, meaning it can spread faster, especially this rainy season. Given that, we should be reminded of the basic safety reminders during this season on top of our usual precautions.
Learn more on how to protect yourself and others around you by taking precautions and following health guidelines.
Below are eight rainy season safety tips and reminders to remember.
1. Wear Your Masks Properly
How you wear your mask is the main factor in your susceptibility to the virus. Make sure you are covering your mouth and your nose with the right material before stepping out. This way, you keep yourself safe, and you also help prevent the spread of the virus.
If you are not yet fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask in indoor public places. It is recommended that all healthy kids aged 2 and older put on their masks, even indoor or outdoor. In areas with many cases, it is mandatory to wear them, particularly in crowded outdoor settings.
As the new and highly contagious variant of COVID-19 continues to spike across the country, it’s important to stay steadfast in helping prevent its spread. While wearing masks is great protection, you should couple this with other health precautions to fully protect yourself.
Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze. Do not remove your mask when you do so.
2. Maintain Social Distancing
While inside your home, avoid contact with people who are sick or who have signs and symptoms of the virus. If possible, maintain at least six feet between the sick member of the family. It is even better that your family member experiencing symptoms have their separate room and toilet within your house and lot.
Outside your home, maintain the six feet distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. Do this even when interacting with people without symptoms. Some people may be asymptomatic, and you may still bring the virus home with you.
Suppose you are going to your workplace for an important errand. In that case, it may be difficult to maintain a physical distance from your workmates. Still, it is advised to maintain the six-foot distance and do not remove your mask at any instance.
For practical measurement purposes, stay at least two arm lengths away from other people. This way, you decrease your chances of contracting the virus by at least 95 percent.
3. Clean and Disinfect
Since it is the rainy season, flooding is inevitable. If the water is high, avoid flooded areas as much as possible. This way, you decrease your chances of getting infected by leptospirosis. The DOH (Department of Health) especially warns the public of this wet season illness that comes from water infested with animal urine and feces, especially rats.
To keep yourself from being infected, it is best to wear rain boots if possible. Even better, avoid going out and dipping in a flood. In cases when it is inescapable, make sure that you wash your soaked feet and legs thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap after passing through the area.
Inside your home, maintain the same level of cleanliness. If a member of your family has been infected or has tested positive with the virus, disinfect the touched surfaces of the infected immediately. These include spoons and forks, light switches, doorknobs, phones, appliances, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Use a disinfectant product or even alcohol to eradicate germs and viruses.
4. Wash Your Hands Often
Regularly wash your hands with soap for at least 15 to 20 seconds. This helps prevent germs and bacteria from spreading in your body. Remember to do this after you have been in a public place. The same is true after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
As an alternative to soap, use a hand sanitizer or alcohol instead with at least 60 to 75 percent alcohol content. Cover all surfaces of your hands with alcohol or sanitizer and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid putting your hands on your eyes, nose, and mouth with being unwashed.
5. Monitor Your Health Daily
Monitoring your health daily is one of the best ways to keep yourself safe. Be observant of signs and symptoms of the virus and other diseases. Be attentive if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other indication of the virus. Only you would know if you are feeling more tired or more weak than usual.
Get your temperature checked if you are experiencing worrying symptoms. As soon as possible, consult with medical professionals and take the prescribed medicine to counter the effects of the virus.
6. Eat Healthy Food
A healthy body can be achieved by eating healthy and nutritious foods. This means loading up on vitamins and minerals and drinking glasses of water. In drinking vitamins, make sure to check with your doctor first on your prescribed intake. Too much of it can also damage other parts of your body.
Vitamins help you prepare for the rainy day by boosting your immune system against viruses and other health threats. Drinking eight glasses of water every day can help your body stay energized and hydrated and activate your immune system.
Be sure that your water is clean and distilled or filtered. Contaminated water is primarily the cause of various diseases like diarrhea and typhoid fever. If you believe that your water is not distilled, try to boil it for at least three minutes to kill the bacteria.
Lastly, the key to having and maintaining a healthy body is to eat a well-balanced diet. Vitamins can help you, but it works best when paired with healthy meals.
7. Stay Updated
Televisions and radios are the most accessible sources of news and updates about the weather condition. But for the fastest updates, it is best to follow news outlets and weather stations on social media.
If you want to receive updates for any emergency, you can also turn on the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction the Management Council) alert on your mobile devices.
Staying updated can help you prepare ahead of any disaster that may come around. Always turn on your televisions and radios for the latest information.
Aside from these precautions, a budget for your health is also essential. It is also rewarding to invest in health care for medical emergencies that may occur in the future. As we often hear repeatedly, prevention is better than cure. It is always better to be one step ahead all the time to keep you and your family safe when a calamity strikes.
8. Get Vaccinated
There are now many vaccination areas around the Philippines that you can go to. Check with your local government and ask where you can sign up and register for your slot. Generally, you will receive a message from the local government informing you of the available vaccine and your schedule.
Authorized vaccines for COVID-19 can help protect you from the worst of its effects. More than yourself, this also helps stop the spread of the virus within your community. Plus, getting vaccinated gives you access to many benefits and activities that have been previously shut down due to the pandemic.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, always be updated about the latest health protocols and stay at home as much as possible. Seek medical attention if you feel unwell. Call in advance to the local healthcare units to assist you right away to the health facility.
For more safety tips and updates about the vaccines, you may check out our other blogs. To learn more on how to keep your homes safe, you may check out Camella’s healthy homes or scan our catalog of spacious house and lot for sale.
by: Billy Mabanag
