Social Media is abuzz with general public & industry professionals alike taking an online-course and encouraging others to become ambassadors to disseminate the right information in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The course has been launched by Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Called - Let's Break the Chain of Covid-19 Infection – the course is a unique way to spread the word about preventive measures to combat coronavirus and dispel doubts even from the confines of one's home.

It is available on their website and will hardly take an hour's time. At the end, each new ambassador will receive a certificate and then as a first task need to challenge three people to join the course.

Dr. Hanan Alsuwaidi, assistant professor of family medicine at MBRU University, said the course seeks to identify and empower members of the community to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus.

"In this course, you will learn about the ways respiratory infections are transmitted, the elements of the chain of infection, and effective prevention strategies," Alsuwaidi pointed out.

Dr. Abiola Senok, professor, microbiology and infectious diseases, and one of the instructors, noted that the symptoms of infection, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, may appear in as less as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

"Scientists are working hard to understand this new virus and produce a vaccine. Antibiotics do not work against viruses; they only work on bacterial infections. Therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention."

How it works

The course -- split into various sections and explained through videos and graphics -- will inform people about how respiratory infections are transmitted, six elements of the chain of infection and ways to prevent it, including the use of face masks. It will also offer answers to what is a chain of infection, can chain of infection be broken, does washing hands and hand sanitisers really work, what is the cough etiquette, how to clean mobile phones, when to wear masks and so on. Also after each section, there is a brief test to check the understanding of the topics. Upon completion, a certificate will be issued in the new ambassador's name.