10 habits that put you at risk of catching coronavirus

1. To smoke

The relationship between this habit and the risk of getting sick is not well understood. However, there is evidence that suggests that if you smoke, COVID-19 will be more severe.

Scientists analyzedClinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China more than a thousand cases of infection at the height of the epidemic in China. It turned out that among seriously ill patients (those who needed intensive therapy or died) smoker there was one in four. Among the lungs, only one in ten.

Inhalation of tobacco smoke appears to be associated with more severe respiratory infectionsSmokers At Higher Risk Of Severe COVID-19 During Coronavirus Outbreak.

Jay Taylor Hayes (J. Taylor Hays, MD, director of the Rochester Nicotine Addiction Center

In general, smokers are more likely to be admitted to intensive care.

2. Don't think about hygiene

WHO insistsQuestions and answers about the coronavirus infection COVID-19 on the need to wash your hands or treat them with an alcohol-based antiseptic. And even puts this recommendation at the top of the list of preventive measures against COVID-19.

The reason is simple. The SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 coronavirus, although transmitted mainly by airborne droplets, easily settles on surfaces. And can live on them up to 3-4 daysAerosol and Surface Stability of SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 as Compared with SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 1.

If you touch an infected handrail on public transport, a doorknob in a store, or a button in an elevator, the virus migrates to your palms and fingers. And from there it can easily enter the body through the mucous membranes. For example, when you scratch your eyes with an unwashed hand or wipe your nose.

Forgetting hygiene is deadly today.

Therefore, try to disinfect your hands as often as possible, especially when you are out of the house.

3. Touch the face

Correct bangs, smooth eyebrows, scratch your nose, put your palm under your cheek. These often unconscious movements also help the coronavirus get into the body. Thinking and habitually reaching out to your face, you can touch the mucous membranes with dirty hands. And get infected.

4. Biting nails

In this case, you will most likely touch the mucous membrane. This means you increase the risk of infection. So drop it urgently.

5. Go to work with a cold

Such a disregard for health (both one's own and those of others) can turn into serious troubles.

If you catch a cold, stay at home. And watch closely for symptoms. We're not hinting at anything, but fever, dry cough, and weakness are reasons to call your GP or the coronavirus hotline 8-8800-2000-112.

6. Constantly monitor the news and use social networks

Our brains are designed so that we react most sharply to bad news. Psychologists call this thinking error the negative bias effect.Why We Love Bad News.

The problem is that it is easy to drown in information about the economic crisis and the victims of the coronavirus. The result is stress that becomes chronic. And this is a direct road to declineCurrent Directions in Stress and Human Immune Functionimmunity. The more you stress, the easier it is for all sorts of inflammatory diseases to take over your body.

7. Don't leave your smartphone

The trouble is that the coronavirus is happy to settle on the body and screen of the gadget. Having been on the street and on public transport, the smartphone simply cannot stay clean.

And then you put it on your face. Or, after thoroughly washing your hands and being confident in your own safety, you jump into bed with your smartphone to sit on social networks before going to bed. Touch the dirty screen with your fingers and rub the sticking eyes with them ...

In general, with the habit of taking out a smartphone on the street every now and then, it's time to tie it up. But the habit of disinfecting the device as often as hands, on the contrary, is worth getting.

8. Get close to people

Hugs and kisses at a meeting have long been a trend, but now they are rapidly going out of fashion. As well as the crowds at the checkout or the six-person rides in a cramped elevator.

The main route of transmission of coronavirus is airborne, that is, with the smallest droplets of saliva and mucus released from the mouth and nose of the sick person. Therefore, WHO recommendsQuestions and answers about the coronavirus infection COVID-19 keep at least one meter away from coughing or sneezing people.

Lifehacker, in turn, recalls that in some cases COVID-19 is almost asymptomaticCovert coronavirus infections could be seeding new outbreaks. This means that any person can be a carrier of the infection - even someone who does not cough and looks generally healthy.

In general, get used to keeping your distance, even when it comes to close friends. Now it can save your life.

9. Sleep less

Lack of sleep hitsSleep and immune function on immunity, as well as stress. People who do not get enough sleep are more likely to develop respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19. And they recover more slowly.

Therefore, the habit of watching TV shows late into the night and generally sleeping less than 8 hours is a surefire way to lose in the fight against coronavirus.

10. Wander through the shops

Two factors play a role here. First, the more people around you, the higher the risk that one of them will be a carrier of the infection and be able to transmit it to you.

Second: clothes, shoes, other goods can be the very surfacesAerosol and Surface Stability of SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 as Compared with SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 1where the virus lurks. Therefore, it is also advisable to say goodbye to the habit of unrestrained shopping. Hopefully for a while. If it's hard to do without shopping, go online.