HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF COVID-19 WHEN YOU SHARE A CAR.

HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF COVID-19 WHEN YOU SHARE A CAR. | During this pandemic Covid-19, life must be go on even the case is still high. Going out with your own car will a safest choice but if you have to take the public transport it will be at risk.

You are at risk of getting Covid-19 in the car if there are other passengers carrying the virus. The virus can be present in droplets that come out of the breathing, speech, coughing and sneezing of an infected person. Large droplets will fall to the surface, but small droplets and aerosols will fly in the air for up to 1 hour.

Anyone wanna ride with Malique?

Here are some tips on how you can reduce your risk of contracting Covid-19 when sharing a car (the result of a study by researchers at Swansea University):

1. Wearing a face mask does not guarantee 100% you are not infected but is very beneficial. Virus carriers who wear face masks can reduce the spread of virus particles by 90% and if you also wear masks, then of course the rate of infection can be greatly reduced. Wearing a faceshield or face cover can further reduce the rate of spread of virus particles and infections. So you have the right to suggest other passengers wear face masks.

2. Keep your position away from other passengers. Sit in a position as far away as possible from other passengers. Do not share the vehicle with many passengers.

3. Wash your hands before and after boarding the car and if it is your car, wash the surfaces and parts held by the passenger including the handle and seat belt.

4. Studies show that opening the window for 10 seconds once in a while can reduce the accumulation of virus particles by 97%. When the car window is opened, there will be a pressure difference inside and outside the car so that the particles inside the car will be sucked out.

5. Driving a car slowly gives a greater chance for virus particles to accumulate, so if you are driving less than 30 km/h, it is better to open all the windows. Slow driving also results in smaller external and internal pressure differences, so the suction effect is lower. But keep in mind that opening all the windows can also bring other harm, namely external pollution that enters.

6. If you drive a vehicle faster, there is no need to open all the windows. It is enough if once in a while you open two opposite windows, for example one on the front right and one on the back left. This is done every 10-15 minutes, for 10 seconds, or when any passengers sneeze and cough.

7. Sitting in the front seat of a car has a lower risk of infection because the direction of air movement from front to back will collect particles in the back of the car. If passengers are forced to sit in the back, choose a seat opposite the open window.

8. In addition to the above methods, if you and/and other passengers have already taken the Covid-19 vaccine, the risk of infection is certainly very minimal.

Source : Google

9. Don’t share a car with people you don’t know especially if you are in a place where the virus is already spreading in the community. If you have to, it's best to wear a layered face mask or combined with a faceshield. Pray that no other passengers carry the virus.

10. The CDC also recommends that if you need to practice 'car pooling', do it with the same person and it is recommended not to install air conditioning instead use only wind flow or the windows are always open.

Dato Dr Rushdan Noor

Credit information to : Medical Mythbusters  Malaysia Facebook Page

Stay safe everyone!