Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) Doctors are advising people to wear face masks and frequently wash their hands to protect against the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), in the wake of the first confirmed case of the virus in the country on Tuesday.
Huang Ching-tai (黃景泰), chief of the Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Internal Medicine at New Taipei-based Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, told reporters that individuals should avoid visiting Wuhan City in central China, where the outbreak is believed to have started late last year.
In Taiwan, one should reduce visits to crowded places and should wear a surgical face mask during such visits.
Another key to protect against the new type of coronavirus is to frequently wash one's hands with soap, he said.
At present, there is limited knowledge on how the 2019-nCoV is transmitted but given the fact that over a dozen medical workers in China are confirmed to have contracted the virus, it is highly likely the coronavirus is spread by contact transmission, meaning that the infected medical workers may have touched surfaces contaminated by respiratory droplets from infected individuals, Huang said.
Individuals are advised to wash their hands thoroughly with soap. They should not touch their face, especially eyes, nose, or mouth, before washing their hands, Huang added.
The doctor also said surgical masks, if properly worn, are effective at preventing the spread of infections. Once a face mask is damaged or soiled, one should immediately replace it with a new one, he continued.
Huang also said there is no need to wear N95 masks as they can make it more difficult for wearers to breathe and most people are unable to wear the N95 for a long period of time.
台北，1月22日(中央社)周二，台湾发现首例冠状病毒(2019- ncov)确诊病例，医生建议民众戴口罩，勤洗手，以预防2019年新出现的冠状病毒。
黄Ching-tai(黃景泰),首席传染病部门的内科在台北新林口长庚医院,告诉记者,个人应该避免访问中国中部武汉的城市,那里的爆发被认为是去年年底开始。
在台湾，应减少前往人多挤迫的地方，并应戴上外科口罩。
他说，预防这种新型冠状病毒的另一个关键是经常用肥皂洗手。
目前,知识有限的2019 - ncov传播,但考虑到中国十几个医务人员确认感染病毒,很可能冠状病毒的传播是通过接触传播,这意味着受感染的医护人员可能接触表面通过呼吸道飞沫污染从感染者,黄说。
建议个人用肥皂彻底洗手。黄补充说，在洗手之前，他们不应该摸自己的脸，尤其是眼睛、鼻子或嘴巴。
他还说，如果佩戴得当，手术口罩可以有效防止感染的传播。他继续说:“口罩一旦损坏或弄脏，应立即更换新口罩。”
黄还说，没有必要戴N95口罩，因为它会使佩戴者呼吸困难，而且大多数人无法长时间佩戴N95口罩。
小尾巴~
