As public health officials learn more about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), they continue to encourage social distancing as the best way to curb its spread.
WHAT IS SOCIAL DISTANCING The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages everyone to stay home and avoid non-essential travel. If you must go in public for essentials, practice social distancing — that is, maintaining physical space around you — by:
- Keeping at least 6 feet away from others.
- Avoiding gathering in groups, including at a friend’s house, parks, restaurants, shops or any other place. This applies to people of all ages; children too shouldn’t have in-person playdates.
- Staying out of crowded places.
You can still stay connected while staying away. Tips include:
- Following the directions of local authorities.
- Using delivery services for prescriptions and groceries when possible. If you must go out, use a cloth face cover and stay 6 feet away from others.
- Connecting virtually with loved ones through phone and video calls, texts or social media.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY Blood donation is essential to ensuring the health of our communities. During this uncertain time, the American Red Cross encourages healthy individuals to make an appointment to give blood or platelets to help keep a stable blood supply throughout this pandemic. Right now, African American blood donors are critically needed to help patients battling sickle cell disease, following a significant decrease in diverse donors amid this coronavirus outbreak.
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. To ensure the health of staff and donors, precautions include:
- Checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.
- Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
- Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation and refreshment areas.
- Ensuring face masks or coverings are worn by both staff and donors.
- Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment and donor-touched areas.
- Wearing gloves, and changing gloves often.
- Using sterile collection sets and an aseptic scrub for every donation.
PLEASE GIVE BLOOD This is a time to take care of one another. If you are feeling well, please make an appointment to give by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
FIND COVID-19 SAFETY UPDATES Visit redcross.org/coronavirus for more information on COVID-19 safety. For the latest information, please visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/covid19. If you live outside the United States, health and safety tips can be found through the World Health Organization and by following your local Red Cross or Red Crescent society’s social media channels (directory).
"Wakati maafisa wa afya ya umma wanajifunza zaidi juu ya ugonjwa wa coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), wanaendelea kuhamasisha umbali wa kijamii kama njia bora ya kuzuia kuenea kwake. """ Vituo vya Kudhibiti na Kuzuia Magonjwa vinahimiza kila mtu kukaa nyumbani na kuepuka kusafiri bila uhitaji. Ikiwa lazima uende hadharani kwa mahitaji muhimu, fanya mazoezi ya umbali wa kijamii - ambayo ni, kudumisha nafasi ya kimwili karibu nawe - kwa: - Kuhifadhi angalau futi 6 mbali na wengine. - Kuepuka kukusanyika katika vikundi, ikiwa ni pamoja na nyumbani kwa rafiki, mbuga, mikahawa, maduka au mahali pengine popote. Hii inatumika kwa watu wa umri wote; watoto pia hawapaswi kuwa na tarehe za kucheza kibinafsi. - Kuepuka mahali penye watu wengi. Unaweza kuendelea kuwasiliana na wengine hata ukiwa mbali. Vidokezo ni pamoja na: - Kufuata maelekezo ya mamlaka za mitaa. - Kutumia huduma za utoaji wa dawa na vyakula inapowezekana. Ikiwa ni lazima utoke nje, tumia kifuniko cha uso cha kitambaa na ukae umbali wa futi 6 kutoka kwa wengine. - Kuunganisha karibu na wapendwa kupitia simu na wito wa video, maandishi au vyombo vya habari vya kijamii. Utoaji wa damu ni muhimu kwa kuhakikisha afya ya jamii zetu. Wakati huu wa kutokuwa na uhakika, Msalaba Mwekundu wa Amerika unawatia moyo watu wenye afya kufanya miadi ya kutoa damu au platelets kusaidia kudumisha usambazaji wa damu thabiti wakati wa janga hili. Kwa sasa, wafadhili wa damu wa Kiafrika-Wamarekani wanahitajika sana kusaidia wagonjwa wanaopambana na ugonjwa wa seli ya sickle, kufuatia kupungua kwa kiasi kikubwa kwa wafadhili mbalimbali katikati ya janga hili la coronavirus. Kila kituo cha kutoa damu cha Msalaba Mwekundu na cha kutoa damu hufuata viwango vya juu zaidi vya usalama na udhibiti wa maambukizo. Ili kuhakikisha afya ya wafanyakazi na wafadhili, tahadhari ni pamoja na: - Kuangalia joto la wafanyakazi na wafadhili kabla ya kuingia kwenye gari ili kuhakikisha kuwa wana afya. - Kutoa sanitizer ya mikono kwa ajili ya matumizi kabla ya gari, pamoja na katika mchakato wote wa mchango. - Kufuata umbali wa kijamii kati ya wafadhili ikiwa ni pamoja na kuingia, kutoa na maeneo ya kupumzika. - Kuhakikisha vinyago vya uso au vifuniko huvaliwa na wafanyakazi na wafadhili. - Kuondoa viini kwa kawaida kwenye nyuso, vifaa na maeneo yaliyouguliwa na wafadhili. - Kuvaa glavu, na kubadilisha glavu mara nyingi. - Kutumia seti za ukusanyaji zisizo na viini na scrub ya aseptic kwa kila mchango. Tafadhali tupe damu, wakati huu ni wakati wa kutunza kila mmoja. Ikiwa unajua ni nani anayetoa damu, tafadhali fanya uteuzi wa kutoa damu kwa kutumia programu ya Mtoaji wa Damu ya Msalaba Mwekundu, tembelea Red Cross.org au piga simu 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu usalama wa COVID-19, tembelea redcross.org na COVID-19. Kwa habari zaidi, tafadhali tembelea tovuti ya CDC kwenye cdc.gov.gov. Ikiwa unaishi nje ya Marekani, vidokezo vya afya na usalama vinaweza kupatikana kupitia Shirika la Afya Ulimwenguni na kwa kufuata njia za mitandao ya kijamii ya Msalaba Mwekundu au Msalaba Mwekundu wa jamii yako.