Coronavirus has been rapidly spreading in the Chinese province of Hubei, where authorities are trying to minimize travel to put a stop to the virus spreading outside of it. Regardless of that, many other provinces in China were infected, and there are a couple of cases recorded on almost every continent.
Although we are no experts in this field, we did some research to prepare poker players who travel the world and play in live tournaments.
First things first, you should know that you should not panic. Although coronavirus spreads fast, it’s still not a global health emergency. However, being prepared is not panicking; it’s just responsible behavior, and that’s very important if you travel the world.
Why Should Poker Players Prepare?
Poker players who attend live tournaments are going to meet a lot of people coming from different countries. Big festivals host thousands of poker lovers, and there are always Chinese citizens who love attending them.
Naturally, China does its best to check every citizen who leaves the country, and so do other countries upon the arrival of Chinese travelers. In other words, everyone is thoroughly checked for coronavirus when they land, and that’s a good thing. However, it’s always wise to stay precautious.
Even if you play poker in tournaments where there are no Chinese citizens, you should still try to be cautious. Let’s take a look at a couple of tips.
Wash Your Hands Often
Our hands are most exposed, once you think about it. We use our hands to touch cards, chips, and everything else along the way. According to the CDC, the best way is to use soap and wash hands for at least 20 seconds, trying to wash every single bit on them.
This is especially important for poker players as they often touch things that millions of others have touched.
Don’t Touch Your Face If You Don’t Have To
According to a report in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, people tend to touch their face up to 3.6 times every hour. That’s a lot, and most of these things are unconscious most of the time.
However, if we touch our mouth or noses, there’s a possibility to spread the flu, so try to minimize it.
Cover Your Mouth When You Cough or Sneeze — But Use A Tissue
When we cough or sneeze, we spread our infection faster. Besides, it’s never a pleasant sight to see someone coughing or sneezing right at you. However, don’t use your hand to cover those, but a clean tissue instead.
You should always use a fresh new tissue instead of reusing the old ones. This is not only more healthy than reusing the old ones, but it also looks better.
Don’t Use A Surgical Mask
There’s no proof that surgical masks are effective against the infection so far, so there’s no need to wear one at the moment. Instead, make sure to keep your hygiene levels high and stick to some of the pieces of advice you saw in this text.
Don’t Panic
Even if you notice some symptoms which may seem like you have the coronavirus, you shouldn’t panic immediately. Make sure to check-in at the nearest hospital as soon as possible to get checked.
If you haven’t been to Wuhan recently, it’s possible that you just have the common flu or cold.
These should be sufficient to help you protect yourself for now. However, coronavirus is pretty new and is currently being observed by the best medical professionals to find out how to prevent it from happening. Therefore, you should never panic, but also do your best to protect your health.