The lockdown cannot go on for months and countries need to be ‘on the look-out’ for coronavirus and this means, people will have to be prepared to protect themselves.

Till date, more than 3.9 million confirmed cases have been reported worldwide with about 275,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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Bangladesh has seen an upward trend in number of confirmed cases in recent days. Until Friday, the country reported more than 13,000 cases and over 200 deaths. And the situation is unlikely to improve within the next few days.

The country has shut educational institutions and mass transports but allowed businesses to operate ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest festivals of Muslims.

So, what should individuals do to better protect themselves after their countries lift restrictive measures before the pandemic is over?

WHO says the two main channels of coronavirus transmission are respiratory droplets and contact. And so, continuing to wear personal protective equipment will help, reports Xinhua.

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In an interim guidance published in April, WHO said wearing a medical mask is one of the prevention measures that can limit the spread of certain respiratory viral diseases, including COVID-19.

However, masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-washing with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water, the WHO noted.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that covering the mouth and nose with a tissue or a bent elbow while coughing or sneezing and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces will also help.

It suggests avoiding parks or places recently exposed to coronavirus as protective measures.

The WHO also discourages going to crowded places which may contain coronavirus patients and crowds make it difficult to maintain a proper physical distance.

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On Friday, the Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) discussed in a report how to overcome post-lockdown mass mobility challenges and incorporate social distancing as the "new normal".

"Since this crisis is 'novel,' we need to come up with solutions which weren't thought of before, or were rejected for being too futuristic or impractical for a developing and densely populated nation like India," said Paresh Rawal from the ORF.

So, here are few things you can do to protect yourself and others:

-      wear protective equipment

-      wear masks

-      covering mouth with tissue papers or bent elbow while sneezing or coughing

-      avoiding crowded places and parks

-      frequently washing hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water

-      maintain social distancing as much as possible

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