Facing the sudden outbreak of novel coronavirus epidemic, each one of us is the first person responsible for our own health. Maintaining a good mentality, ensuring scientific protection, and protecting ourselves, our family members and those around us are the strongest supports for us to win this battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic. We have now prepared this Handbook of Personal Protection against the Pneumonia Caused by the Novel Coronavirus to help you protect yourself in a scientific way. 

I. Prevention of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus (General) 

Applicable for public and personal prevention guide during the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic 

A. Reduce outdoor activities as much as possible 

1. Avoid visiting areas where the disease is prevalent.

2. It is recommended to make fewer visits to relatives and friends and dining together during the epidemic prevention and control and stay at home as much as possible.

3. Try to avoid visits to crowded public areas, especially places of poor ventilation, such as cinemas, internet cafes, Karaoke, public bathrooms, shopping malls, bus/train stations, airports, and exhibition centers, etc. 

B. Personal protection and hand hygiene 

1. It is recommended that one shall wear a mask when going out. A surgical or N95 mask shall be worn when visiting public areas, hospitals or taking public transport.

2. Keep your hands sanitized. Try to avoid touching public objects and parts in public areas. After returning from public areas, covering your cough, using the restroom, and before meals, please wash your hands with soap or liquid soap under running water, or use alcoholic hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes when you are unsure whether your hands are clean or not. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow when sneeze or cough. 

C. Health monitoring and seeking medical attention 

1. Monitor the health conditions of your family members and yourself. Measure your temperatures when you feel like having a fever. If you have kid(s) at home, touch the kid’s forehead in the morning and at night. Measure the kid’s temperature in case of fever.

2. Wear a mask and seek medical attention at nearby hospitals in case of suspicious symptoms. Go to medical institution in a timely manner when suspicious symptoms relating to the pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus are found. Try to avoid taking metro, bus and other public transport and visiting crowded areas. Tell the doctor your travel and residence history in epidemic areas, and who you met after you got the disease. Cooperate with your doctor on the relevant queries. 

D. Keep good hygiene and health habits 

1. Frequently open the windows of your house for better ventilation.

2. Do not share towels with your family members. Keep your home and tableware clean. Sun-cure your clothes and quilts often.

3. Do not spit. Wrap your oral and nasal secretion with tissue and throw it in a covered dustbin.

4. Balance your nutrition and exercise moderately.

5. Do not touch, buy or eat wild animals (games). Try to avoid visiting markets that sell live animals.

6. Prepare thermometer, surgical or N95 masks, domestic disinfectant and other supplies at home. 

II. Prevention of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus (Travel Prevention) 

Applicable to those who have lived and traveled in endemic areas such as Wuhan over the past two weeks 

A. Report to your unit or community as soon as possible, reduce outdoor activities, and especially avoid going to crowded public places.

B. Monitor your own health conditions for 14 consecutive days, twice a day, from the day you left the disease-endemic area. If conditions permit, try to live alone or in a well-ventilated single room, and minimize close contact with family members.

C. If you have suspicious symptoms (including fever, cough, sore throat, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, mild anorexia, fatigue, poor mental health, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headache, palpitation, conjunctivitis, mild muscle pain in the limbs or lower back, etc.) ), you should seek medical attention in time as per your health conditions. Please heed the following advice on your way to a medical institution: 

1. On the way to the hospital, patients should wear medical surgical masks or N95 masks.

2. If possible, please avoid taking public transport to the hospital and open the windows of your car on the way.

3. Always wear a mask and keep your hands clean at all times. On the way and in the hospital, stay away from others as much as possible (at least 1 meter).

4. If the vehicle is contaminated on the way, it is recommended to use chlorine disinfectant or peracetic acid disinfectant to disinfect all the surfaces contaminated by respiratory secretions or body fluids. 

III. Prevention of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus (Prevention at Home) 

Applicable for homes and dormitories 

A. Daily Prevention

1. Avoid visiting areas where the disease is prevalent.

2. Try to avoid visits to crowded public areas, especially places of poor ventilation, such as public bathrooms, hot springs, cinemas, internet bars, Karaoke, shopping malls, bus/train stations, airports, ferry terminals and exhibition centers, etc.

3. Do not touch, buy or eat wild animals (games). Try to avoid visiting markets that sell live animals (poultry, seafood and wild animals, etc.). Meat and eggs should be fully cooked before being put on the table.

4. Keep your room clean, open the windows for ventilation frequently.

5. Keep your hands sanitized. Try to avoid touching public objects and parts in public areas. After returning from public areas, covering your cough, using the restroom, and before meals, please wash your hands with soap or liquid soap under running water, or use alcoholic hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes when you are unsure whether your hands are clean or not. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow when sneeze or cough.

6. It is recommended that one shall wear a mask when going out. A surgical or N95 mask shall be worn when visiting public areas, hospitals or taking public transportation.

7. Keep good hygiene and health habits. Do not share towels with your family members. Keep your home and tableware clean. Sun-cure your clothes and quilts often. Do not spit. Wrap your oral and nasal secretion with tissue and throw it in a covered dustbin. Balance your nutrition and exercise moderately.

8. Monitor the health conditions of your family members and yourself. Measure your temperatures when you feel like having a fever. If you have kid(s) at home, touch the kid’s forehead in the morning and at night. Measure the kid’s temperature in case of fever.

9. Get ready with daily essentials, such as household thermometers, disposable masks, household disinfection materials etc. 

B. Advice for situations when family members show suspicious symptoms

1. In case that any of your family members show suspicious symptoms (such as fever, cough, sore throat, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, mild anorexia, fatigue, poor mental health, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headache, palpitation, conjunctivitis, mild muscle pain in the limbs or lower back, etc.) ), he or she should seek medical attention in time as per his or her health conditions.

2. Avoid taking public transport, such as metro or bus etc., and going to crowded places.

3. When visiting a doctor, please tell the doctor about the patient’s travel history in areas where the disease is endemic, and the people whom he or she has been in contact with after contracting the illness and cooperate with the doctor to complete relevant queries.

4. The family members of the patient should all wear masks. The patient should keep away from other asymptomatic family members and avoid close contact.

5. If a family member is diagnosed with pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, other family members who are identified as close contacts of the patient should receive 14 days of medical observation.

6. Sterilize areas and items frequently touched by family members showing symptoms. 

IV. Prevention of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus (Prevention at Public Places) 

Applicable for public places such as shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, KTVs, Internet cafes, public baths, gymnasiums, exhibition halls, train stations, subway stations, airports, and bus stations etc. 

A. Stall working in public places are required to monitor their own health. If they run suspicious symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection (such as fever, cough, sore throat, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, mild anorexia, fatigue, slightly poor spirit, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headache, palpitation, conjunctivitis, mild muscle pain in the limbs or lower back, etc.), they should not come to work sick.

B. If a suspected case of novel coronavirus is identified, the staff should ask him or her to leave.

C. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and facilities in public places regularly.

D. Keep public places well-ventilated. Ensure the proper functioning of the air conditioners or extractor fans. Clean the filters of the air conditioners regularly and open windows frequently for better ventilation.

E. Prepare enough liquid soap in the restroom. Ensure water supply facilities like the taps function well.

F. Keep the environment clean and dispose of the waste in a timely manner.

G. People in areas where the disease is prevalent should avoid visiting public places, especially crowded places or those with poor ventilation. 

V. Prevention of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus (Home Observation) 

The close contacts of a confirmed case of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus should take medical observation for 14 days from the last day of contact with the patient. During the observation at home, they need to keep in touch with medical observers, understand the main points of health observation and care, and master the handwashing, ventilation, protection and disinfection measures for family prevention. The specific advice for medical observation at home is as follows: 

A. Place close contacts in a well-ventilated single room and refuse all visits.

B. Limit the activities of close contacts, and minimize the spaces shared by close contacts and family members. Make sure the shared spaces (kitchen, bathroom, etc.) are well ventilated (keep the windows open).

C. Family members should live in different rooms. If conditions do not allow, keep at least 1 meter away from close contacts. Lactating mothers can continue to breastfeed their babies.

D. Other family members should wear masks when entering the living space of the close contact. The masks should be close to the face. Do not touch or adjust the masks in the living space. The mask must be replaced immediately when it becomes wet and dirty because of the secretions. After removing and discarding the mask, wash your hands.

E. Clean your hands after having any direct contact with the close contact or leaving his or her living space. Wash your hands before preparing food, before and after meals. If your hands are not very dirty, you can clean them with alcohol wash-free solution. If your hands are dirty, wash them with soap and water. (Use alcohol safely and avoid accidental swallowing or fire.)

F. After washing your hands with soap and water, it is best to use disposable paper towels. If not, wipe them with a clean towel, and the towel needs to be replaced when it gets wet.

G. Materials used to cover your mouth and nose in case of coughing or sneezing can be discarded directly, or washed properly after use (For example, you may wash your handkerchiefs with ordinary soap/detergent and water).

H. Family members should minimize contact with the close contact and the objects he or she uses: For example, avoid sharing toothbrushes, cigarettes, tableware, meals, drinks, towels, bath towels, bed sheets, etc. Tableware should be washed with detergent and water after use.

I. It is recommended to use chlorine disinfectant and peracetic acid disinfectant to regularly clean and disinfect items frequently touched by family members such as bedside tables, bed frames and other bedroom furniture. Clean and disinfect bathroom and toilet surfaces at least once a day.

J. Use ordinary laundry soap and clean water or washing machine at 60-90 degrees Celsius and ordinary household laundry detergent to wash the clothes, bed sheets, bath towels, towels, etc. of the close contact, and then completely dry the above items. Put bedding used by the close contact in the laundry bag. Do not shake the clothing and avoid direct contact with your skin and clothes.

K. Wear disposable gloves and protective clothing (such as plastic aprons) before cleaning and touching surfaces, clothing, or bedding contaminated by human secretions from the close contact. Clean and disinfect your hands before wearing gloves and after removing them.

L. If a close contact of the confirmed case runs suspicious symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, mild anorexia, and fatigue, he or she should seek medical treatment immediately. Specific guidance and suggestions are as follows: 

1. On the way to the hospital, he or she should wear a medical surgical mask or N95 mask.

2. If possible, avoid taking public transportation to the hospital and open the windows on the road.

3. Always wear a mask and keep your hands clean at all times. On the road and in the hospital, stay away from others as much as possible (at least 1 meter).

4. If the vehicle is contaminated on the way, it is recommended to use chlorine disinfectant or peracetic acid disinfectant to disinfect all the surfaces contaminated by respiratory secretions or body fluids. 

VI. Designated Treatment Hospital and Fever Clinics 

A. Designated Treatment Hospital 

The Fourth People’s Hospital of Taiyuan City is the designated hospital for the treatment of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus for the entire province. Anyone who has symptoms of acute respiratory infection such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and a history of travel or residence in Wuhan, or who has been exposed to people with fever and respiratory symptoms from Wuhan over the past 14 days before the start of the illness, or has a small-scale cluster of symptoms should wear mask to go to the nearest fever clinic for diagnosis and treatment. 

B. Fever Clinics 

Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Children’s Hospital, Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Provincial Eye Hospital, Shanxi Provincial Cardiovascular Hospital, Shanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanxi Provincial Coal Center Hospital, China Railway 17th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. Central Hospital, Taiyuan Taihang Hospital, Taiyuan Central Hospital (Fendong Hospital), Taiyuan People’s Hospital , Taiyuan Eighth People’s Hospital, Taiyuan Maternal and Child Health Hospital (Nanneihuan Hospital), Taiyuan Central Hospital (Fucheng Hospital), Taiyuan Second People’s Hospital, Taiyuan Fourth People’s Hospital, Xishan Coal Electricity Group Worker General Hospital, Wanbolin District Central Hospital, Jinzhong First People’s Hospital, Jinzhong City Infectious Disease Hospital, Jinzhong City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Yuci District People’s Hospital. 

Novel Coronavirus Caused Pneumonia Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group

Taiyuan University of Technology