Tag Archives: covid19

5 things you should consider when planning a party in 2020

Date : May 21, 2020

Author : DR Armed Zayed

Categories : Articles, Events, Featured, Fun and Entertainment

2020 was set to begin and go just like any other year, if not better. However, it brings with it a raging pandemic that has the world on its knees. It does not mean we have to stop everything and wait for it to pass, especially not parties. This article is going to outline five things you should consider when planning a party in 2020.

Due to Covid-19, we must follow the directives from health officials. These may include social distancing, no visitors at home, and so on.

This should not keep you from celebrating a birthday, wedding, or anniversary party. It is just a matter of planning and keeping everyone safe. If you have a party coming up, scrub all the plans you had and consider the following:

Video calls/messages

One of the essential rules to stop the spread of the Coronavirus Disease is social distancing. Well, having a party in your home beats the logic behind social distancing. Instead of having people in your house, which is incredibly dangerous and also careless, organise a video party.

For instance, if it is your child’s birthday, you may have family and friends join a video call for the party. Alternatively, they can send their warm wishes via video messages. The most important thing is to adhere to social distancing.

Bake a cake or make food at home

It is a norm for us to take dinner parties out to a nice restaurant. However, it is no longer a viable option. Consider baking the cake at home if you are celebrating a birthday party. Or make dinner for your partner if you are celebrating your wedding anniversary.

This minimizes the risk of contracting COVID-19. Besides, now that we are all staying home, baking or cooking can be fun.

Use social media to stream live events.

Unfortunately, if you had your wedding planned around this year, it is going to be impossible not to have family and friends at your event. However, you can have them watch your experience live on social media. For instance, Instagram and Facebook provide a live streaming option.

It is a great way to remember your wedding party after all since you keep the video. We’ve seen artists using social media watch parties to engage with the audience.

Hide gifts in the house for a kid’s birthday

It is difficult to explain to your child why their friends cannot come over for their birthday party. However, it would be sad to skip the entire party, even amid a global pandemic. You can do it in your home, with the few members of the family.

Make it fun by hiding presents in different rooms for a scavenger hunt. Alternatively, you can surprise the birthday boy/girl by inviting their friends for a parade. You may organize with other parents to have them cruise a birthday parade outside your home. Find a way to make it unique for your child without endangering your family and others.

Extend a helping hand

While you might be disappointed about all the lockdown and social distancing, especially if you had your party all planned. However, these are challenging times, especially for needy and low-income families. Instead of wallowing in disappointment that your party is cancelled, you can use those resources to help those who have been laid off and needy families.

Generosity will have you feeling useful for touching a life or two.

Conclusion

It is not the best year to plan parties, but we cannot skip every celebration. Even with COVID-19 tearing across the globe, you can still celebrate events, birthdays, or anniversaries. However, we must do so with caution to stop the spread of this virus. I hope the above tips will help you plan a party safely without putting you and others at risk of contracting this illness.

How Useful Are Face Masks?

Date : Mar 18, 2020

Author : DR Armed Zayed

Categories : Coronavirus, Health Care

Since early December 2019, we have been faced with an outbreak of a new virus recognized as the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes dangerous COVID-19 disease. Many people have lost their lives because of this new disease that has recently spread all around the world, with the most affected countries being China, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and many others.

And the virus does not seem to stop, taking more and more lives each day. And so, since the virus first started spreading, we see more people walking around wearing gloves and surgical face masks in hopes of avoiding to get affected by this virus. But the question is – Are the surgical masks really helpful? Could they protect you against the COVID-19?

The doctor holds antivirus face mask in hands

Are face masks worth it?

Each day we learn something new about the SARS-CoV-2 and the way that it keeps affecting more people around the world. We do know that it spreads through respiratory droplets and direct person-to-person contact. It is only natural to think that a face mask would prevent you from being affected.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), face masks should not be worn by people who are not affected by the COVID-19, unless their doctor has instructed them otherwise. A face mask is a must, however, for anyone who has been showing symptoms of COVID-19, has recently traveled to a high-risk country, or are asymptomatic carriers of the virus that have tested positive. A face mask, in this case, is meant to prevent further spreading of the virus and the disease itself.

Unfortunately, a plain old surgical mask is not enough. Because it is not thick enough, doctors think of it as ineffective when it comes to preventing this infection. Instead, they encourage people to buy a specialized mask called N95 respirator. The reason for that is because the N95 respirator is thicker than the usual surgical mask.

During surgery, the surgical mask is worn to prevent the surgeon’s pathogens from entering the surgical field. However, it is not meant to keep out viral particles from entering your body. Plus, it is placed loosely on your face, not being tightly fitted around your nose and cheeks. Also, surgical masks should be disposed of after one use as they are not meant to be reused in the future.

The mask covers the nose, cheeks, chin, and mouth. But because of it being thicker and generally bigger than the surgical mask, breathing can be a challenge. Past reports have talked about it being even a bit claustrophobic, but if it will protect us against the SARS-CoV-2 it is worth using it.

But the mask is not magical and proper fitting is a must. If there is any free space between the mask and the parts of your face that it covers, letting air come in and out of there, it will not do much for you in terms of protection. Instead, it is meant to be tightly fitted on the face. You may ask a doctor or a pharmacist to give you some instructions on how to properly fit your mask.

If you are worried and want to be safe, we recommend buying yourself an N95 respirator just to make sure that you are protected. Do ask for proper instructions on how to get it tightly fitted on your face and do use it as instructed for maximum efficiency. As for those who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-19, do wear your face mask at all times during the day and do follow the instructions provided by the CDC and WHO (World Health Organization).

Research Shows: Drying the Hands Is Crucial For Reducing Virus Transmission

Date : Mar 11, 2020

Author : DR Armed Zayed

Categories : Articles, Coronavirus, Education and Learning, Health Care

With the current COVID-19 virus outbreak, people have heard the message crystal-clear: “washing the hands and using disinfectants regularly, is important for avoiding the infection.”

But, there is another part of this message that only recently surfaced that shouldn’t be overlooked, and that is, hand drying. Study finds: drying your hand after washing important to reduce spreading virus.

According to, John Gammon, one of the authors of the study at Swansea University, drying the hands is just as an important strategy as washing them. This simple, yet very important act, reduces the possibility of recontamination.

Person washing hands in bathroom

Why Drying the Hands Matters?

Plenty of researchers have analyzed how the coronavirus, and any virus in general, manifest in the body. And every single study has pointed out at one particular factor – moisture. A moist surface is a nesting place for germs. It’s the ideal living ground where they can thrive and multiply.

Study finds: drying your hand after washing important to reduce spreading virus. The reason for that is relatively simple. Germs need moisture and without drying our hands after washing, we provide that ideal surface for them, pointed out Miryam Wahrman, a biology professor.

But, the way you dry your hands matters as well. The professor advises using cloth or paper towels to dry the hands completely. Based on statistics, Wahrman suggests that these two methods eradicate the germs much better than washing does since they create powerful friction. The friction is enough to remove anything that might get stuck on the skin.

Cloth Towels Vs Paper Towels – Which One Is Better?

Both cloth and paper towels create friction. But, each of them has its own positive and negative aspects.

Paper towels are disposable. They are a super-effective method for rubbing the skin, particularly for removing germs. However, they are not as environmentally-friendly as the cloth method. Plus, they are more expensive. You will be throwing them away with each use. But you are less likely to contract any germs from them.

Cloth towels are reusable. You can wash them, clean them, and use them again. This is a cheaper and better option for the environment. But, they also have plenty of red flags. First of all, every individual in the house should have a personal towel. Secondly, these towels should be regularly cleaned. And finally, they too need to be dried completely. Otherwise, they can create a place that will attract even more germs.

What About Air Dryers?

A big “no”, stated the professor. The device, whether it’s a jet or air drier, it may gush the germs back to your skin and all around the air. In other words, you will end up breathing them in.

Also, very few people are patient enough to wait for the drier to completely dry out the moisture on the hands, therefore creating a powerful environment for more bacteria to flourish. Not to even mention, you will be touching the doorknobs with wet hands, transferring all the bacteria to a highly accessible surface. This makes the whole recontamination a lot easier.

Final Thoughts

According to the latest study finds: drying your hand after washing important to reduce spreading the virus. But, to achieve that, it’s a good idea to use paper and cloth towels. By removing all the moisture from the skin, you reduce the possibility of contracting or transmitting the virus. So, the next time you do go to the restroom, it’s a good idea to keep a few tissues in your pocket, just in case. They need to be clean, of course, but they can definitely come in handy.