In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become extremely important to take the right measures. The Lancet recently published an article with information on the various measures that should be taken especially, by healthcare professionals.

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As doctors or medical staff, do you know what is right and what is not? Let us take you through a short list of what you can and should do:

1. Ensure use of N95 masks or other high-filtration masks and protective clothing at your workplace, especially if you are treating infected patients.
2. While educating the public is necessary, do not provide information on the disease or its cure if it is not verified.
3. Clearly communicate the risks of COVID-19 and its epidemiology to your staff and patients to help prevent transmission.
4. Promote isolation or social distancing to help lower the transmission rate.
5. If you come across any findings, ensure you update the authorities in a timely manner, so as to enable further assessment.
6. Help patients understand the risks to ease their anxieties around the pandemic. The estimated maximum incubation period is 14 days, so less than 15 minutes of only face-to-face contact with an infected person does not necessarily mean one will get infected. Likewise, the chances of onset of symptoms after 14 days of exposure, which is the maximum incubation period, may also be low.
7. WHO has clarified that there are currently no known effective medicines for COVID-19 and herbal or Chinese medicines are ineffective. Do not unnecessarily prescribe either of these.