Coronavirus Ten Commandments

Working draft – 22 September 2020

None of us are ‘experts’ and we are all learning!

Dear comrades

As part of the Bench Marks Community Monitor Coronavirus Awareness Raising Campaign, we are drafting the ‘Coronavirus Ten Commandments’ to guide community members.

The Commandments are aimed at giving critically important guidance on avoiding infection by the virus, on preventing infecting others and on what to do if infected.

What do you think the ten commandments should be?

The following are suggested commandments. Please read and tell us what you think. Do they make sense or are some of them confusing? Please also make suggestions for commandments.   

1. Take this virus seriously! Its highly infectious, it can cause serious illness or worse and recovery does not mean you are better.
2. Keep safe! Places are opening because of the economy and not because it is safe! When lockdown levels change this does not mean the Pandemic is changing.
3. Be careful and avoid taking any risks you do not have to. We are still learning about the virus and don’t know enough about it.  
4. Be positive about beating the virus. The good news is that some countries are successfully dealing with this virus and as families and communities we can too.
5. Change the way you do things. In beating the virus this is necessary. It is not easy and a mindset shift is needed.
6. Always keep to four basic steps – if at all possible:

• keep your distance from everyone except the people you live with. don’t assume anyone is not infected!
• keep away from crowds or groups of people, outside or inside.
• keep away from all enclosed spaces, except for your home.
• wash your hands regularly, wear a mask and wear it properly and never touch your face. 

7. Do everything possible to keep safe even if you don’t have all the facilities – like running water or you cant avoid going shopping.  

8. Take special precautions if you are especially vulnerable to serious illness if infected.   Every family must know who is especially vulnerable and each community should have a protection and support plan.

9. Take two key steps if you are especially vulnerable:

• Never ever take risks and follow all the precautions to avoid infection. 
• Keep healthy and strengthen your immune system as much as possible.

10. Take action immediately if you test positive or think you are infected – by doing this you can save yourself from serious illness or worse.

For information on these steps please read the Bench Marks pamphlets: Coronavirus Guidelines;  Guidelines for people who may get seriously ill if infected by the coronavirus; and Coronavirus Q &A – What to do if infected?