After the first case of coronavirus detected in Finland, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (in Finnish Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos, THL) updated the recommendations for the prevention of coronavirus.
Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. According to current data, the symptoms of many patients have been mild, but there have also been serious cases. The majority of those infected have been middle-aged or older. Patients seriously affected usually had long-term illnesses, and most of those who died were elderly.
Wash your hands, cough onto your arm
- If you have traveled to Wuhan City area and you have fever and respiratory symptoms within 14 days of your return, contact your local health center or medical emergency first. There you will find instructions on how to seek treatment.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing. Immediately put the used handkerchief in the rubbish bin.
- If you don't have a handkerchief, cough or sneeze onto the upper part of the arm of your sweater, not into your hands.
- When you seek examination and treatment at a health care institution, you may be given a paper mouth/nose cover. This protects staff members and others from infection.
Travelling to China
In general, the risk of travelers becoming ill in China and Asia is low, but travelling in the Chinese province of Hubei, and specifically in the Wuhan area, may be risky.
Travellers must always observe good hand hygiene, but the most important is to avoid close contact with any person with respiratory tract infection. Authorities also recommend to avoid markets were living and dead animals are sold for food or being in close contact with wild, farmed and domestic animals and unwashed vegetables or fruits.
Do not panic
“The risk of the spreading in Finland is very small and, consequently, people should not be worried”, said Mika Salminen, Director at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Salminen also said that Finland is prepared for possible cases. Health care centers and laboratories already have the required operating models and hospitals are well prepared for examining and treating coronavirus infections in isolation.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland’s missions in China are monitoring the situation with THL and they are in permanent contact with key actors with regard to the situational picture and the necessary measures, the Finnish Government reported.
