As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, the World Health Organization has labeled the outbreak a pandemic. And governments are taking proactive measures to protect their citizenry from this disease.

One of these measures is closing down schools. Millions of students in different parts of the world are sitting at home wondering what the future holds. The longer they stay at home, the further behind they fall in coursework.

Most affected students probably consider their current situation a huge disadvantage, but they must not lose sight of the fact that the decision to close down schools came from a good place. Coronavirus is an airborne disease. Considering the communal arrangement of most schools, if an infected student or teacher were to show up, practically the entire school would soon become affected.

Governments and international bodies are coming together to fight this virus. Hopefully, their collective efforts will bear fruit before long so that schools become reopened. In the meantime, these are some of the precautions students must take for their safety.

Minimize Exposure/Spread of Germs

The disease-causing pathogens are typically transmitted by air and they can lodge just about anywhere. Thus, if you come into contact with a surface or an individual that carries these pathogens, your chances of infection significantly go up. To successfully limit the spread of germs, you have to exert deliberate efforts.

Wash your hands: always clean your hands after being in a public area or after interacting with foreign objects. Use liberal amounts of soap and water, and in their absence, use a reputable hand sanitizer. Also, restrain from rubbing your eyes, digging into your nose, or biting your fingernails, because these parts are major entry points for disease-causing pathogens. If you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or cough into your sleeve, not your open hands.

Avoid close contact with infected people: but you must not do it with spite. If an affected person seeks your audience, you may have to keep your distance while talking to them, or use an alternative medium of communication, but it would not be fair to shut them out. In the same vein, limit your interaction with an infected person.

Stay at home if you are affected: as mentioned earlier, there’s nobody too high or too low for Coronavirus. If you come down with the virus, first put the word out so that you get medical assistance, and stay at home for most of the time. This limits the spread of the virus, improves your treatment, and speeds up recovery.

Embrace Online Studies

School is one of the most significant launch pads for successful careers. Unless you are one of those funny students who hate school, you must be disappointed at the shutdown, and would be interested in an alternative means of learning. The Internet is a great resource.

Numerous online teaching companies provide tuition in a wide range of disciplines. You are supposed to first research before you sign up. There are numerous review websites you can check for ratings. One of the main advantages of online learning is that it is far cheaper than traditional schools. Also, students stand to gain greater knowledge from personalized training.

Signing up for these online learning programs takes money, and for some reason, not every parent might be in a position to raise the tuition fees. Still, that’s no excuse for the student to throw care to the wind as far as their studies go. There are numerous free resources a student might download or subscribe to that are related to their coursework.

Stay Informed

Don’t assume that Coronavirus is everyone’s business but you. Ensure that you are in the know about the latest developments. It will help you allegorically stay one step ahead.

Posted on | 3/30/2020 | Shan S.Haider