Page 10 - Barefoot guide

WHAT BODIES ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO COVID-19\

To understand how food can be medicine for COVID-19, let’s find out more about the disease.
COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It spread quickly between people and has now spread to
almost every country in the world. ‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for virus, and ‘D’ for disease, and 19 for the year 2019.

Symptoms of COVID-19
Some people may be infected with COVID-19, and not show symptoms at all. Others may get
seriously ill or die from the illness. Here are signs to look out for:
Mild: Loss of taste/smell; sore throat
Moderate: Weakness; headache; fever; diarrhea; cough
Severe: Shortness of breath and fever; loss of oxygen

How does COVID-19 spread?

• When a person is infected with COVID-19, the virus is in their respiratory droplets when they
breathe out, talk, sing, shout or laugh. These droplets fall to the ground up to one meter away.
This is the case even if the person has no symptoms.
• A cough or sneeze contains many droplets and spreads them further.
• The droplets may land on surfaces. Or they may be spread from the infected person’s hand onto
surfaces they touch, such as door handles and stair rails.
• The virus can live on a surface for several hours, but you need a large dose to get infected. You are
more likely to get infected by standing close to an infected person who is talking or coughing.
Infection is more likely to spread inside, in enclosed spaces, particularly if ventilation from a fan or
an air conditioner spreads the virus through the air across the entire room.

So, you can get infected by

• Breathing in the droplets of someone standing near you.
• Shaking hands, hugging or kissing an infected person.
• Touching a contaminated surface, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.

There is a risk of COVID-19
spreading at shops and markets. But
you are more likely to get infected

in a closed environment, so outdoor
markets are safer. And they also
provide fresh, healthy food to make
your body strong. There is no evidence

that COVID-19 is spread through
food, if you rinse the food before
eating it.

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