The Spring Festival is approaching. In order to ensure that Wenzhou people can have a safe festival, Wenzhou Municipality adheres to the principle of safe and orderly personnel movement for effectively prevent and control the virus transmission, advocating that people working, doing business, and living outside of Wenzhou should stay put during the festival. Meanwhile, people in Wenzhou don’t go out of Wenzhou unless necessary.

What precautions should people pay attention to during the Spring Festival? Please have the advice from Huang Deng, deputy chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Wenzhou People's Hospital.

Reduce going out and stay put during the Spring Festival

Huang Deng says that during the Spring Festival, the relevant departments advocate that everyone should  reduce going out and stay put during the Spring Festival. This decision is made according to the results of the risk assessment of pandemic transmission. The temperature is low in Spring Festival, and the whole environment is in a state of "cold chain", which is very suitable for the survival of the virus, and the transmission risk is high. In addition, in order to keep warm, people are used to closing doors and windows,which increases the risk of virus transmission.

Huang Deng reminds that the flow of people and goods in the Spring Festival will rise sharply, the gatherings of relatives and friends increase as well, which lead to a higher risk of virus import and transmission. So we should reduce going out. It is particularly important to remind that people from high-risk domestic areas should suspend their return to Wenzhou.

Can we visit relatives and friends during the Spring Festival? Huang Deng says if the children are still young, try to avoid visiting relatives and friends, because children have a relatively weak resistance to the virus. If you have to make a visit, you must wear a mask, and keep the windows open to ventilate. If your family has a cold or fever, you must keep the room ventilated while keeping warm.

If you really want to go out, it is recommended to have visits to the surrounding suburbs, bask in the sun and climb mountain. They are also good ways to exercise.

Wear gloves when buying imported food

Recently, imported fruit have been tested positive in many places within Zhejiang Province. Huang Deng introduces that low temperature can make the virus enter a dormant period, resulting in a prolonged survival time. At present, the global pandemic situation is becoming more and more serious, and the risk of importing virus from overseas through the transportation of cold chain goods has increased.

"Coronavirus patients contaminate the fruits and the outer packaging during labor operations, and virus may attach to the surface of the fruits or its outer packaging." Huang Deng believes that a series of people who have direct contact with imported and exported goods such as logistics workers, stevedores, etc. are high-risk groups. They must be strictly protected according to the prevention and control measures. 

Ordinary citizens should go to formal supermarkets and fruit franchise stores to buy imported fruits. In terms of personal protection, although the possibility of consumers contacting with the infectious imported food is very low, this does not mean that they can be taken lightly.  In addition to wearing masks correctly, disposable gloves can be worn  to avoid bare hand contact when you are picking fruits. If you are not wearing gloves, you must wash your hands and sanitize your hands in time.

After bring the cold chain food or fruits home, you should throw away the outer packaging immediately, and then select a suitable method to clean fruits. They can be washed with running water for 10-20 minutes. Or they can cleaned with a qualified fruit cleaner sold on the market, then washed with clean water.

During the processing of cold chain food, the used tools such as containers, knives, and chopping boards should be handled carefully to avoid cross-contamination. The food must be heated thoroughly. A normal cooking temperature (above 70°C) could kill the virus.

Take personal protective measures

In addition, Huang Deng reminds citizens that the most basic protective measures must be taken. First, prepare some masks and alcohol spray. 75% alcohol disinfectant can directly kill virus and it can be used on skin, clothing, and daily necessities. A small portable bottle of alcohol can be carried for daily disinfection when you go out. Disposable hand sanitizer is prepared for when it is inconvenient to wash hands. Disposable gloves are recommended to use when pressing the elevator or opening and closing the door. Finally, Huang Deng suggests that each family should prepare a bottle of 84 disinfectant, which can be used to disinfect indoor floors.

The article is sourced from Public Account "Wenzhou Release"