Table 3.
COVID-19 Preventive Measures (PM), Their Ranking/Priorities, and a Brief Description
| PM Codes | Criteria | Weight of Main Criteria | Weight of Sub-Criteria | Global Weights | Rank | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD | Social distance | 0.36525 | Social distancing also called physical distancing, means keeping a safe distance between you and yourself. WHO and CDC strongly recommend a safe distance to minimize the spread of COVID-19. | |||
| SD1 | Travel | 0.59167 | 0.21611 | 1 | Unnecessary travel of people is a violation of social distance and may increase the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. | |
| SD2 | 3Cs | 0.29173 | 0.10655 | 2 | WHO recommends avoiding 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded, and involve close contacts. | |
| SD3 | Shaking hands and hugging people | 0.11660 | 0.04259 | 7 | Shaking hands and hugging people is a way of transferring the virus from one person to another. People should avoid hugging to reduce infection. | |
| H | Hygiene | 0.11736 | Hygiene is extremely important in limiting the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. | |||
| H1 | Wearing a mask | 0.52233 | 0.06130 | 4 | Wearing a mask is a very important prevention measure to limit the spread of COVID-19. | |
| H2 | Hand wash | 0.24542 | 0.02880 | 11 | Proper handwashing prevents infections from one person to others and keeps you healthy. | |
| H3 | Workplace sanitization | 0.12046 | 0.01414 | 19 | Cleaning and disinfecting the workplace helps to remove germs. | |
| H4 | Cover cough and sneezes | 0.11179 | 0.01312 | 21 | Covering cough and sneeze can help to prevent respiratory diseases like COVID-19. | |
| SPI | Sharing personal items | 0.12494 | People should avoid sharing their things with others. It is very difficult to identify how a person is infected. | |||
| SPI1 | Phone | 0.12098 | 0.01512 | 18 | The surface of your phone can be a source of infection. So it is important to stop sharing your phone prevent coronavirus. | |
| SPI2 | Combs | 0.09851 | 0.01231 | 23 | People should not share their combs with others to prevent infection. | |
| SPI3 | Crockery | 0.24302 | 0.03036 | 10 | Do not share the crockery items or eating utensils. | |
| SPI4 | Sanitary items | 0.42934 | 0.05364 | 5 | Sanitary items should not be shared because it could be a source of COVID. | |
| SPI5 | Stationary | 0.10815 | 0.01351 | 20 | Limit sharing your stationery items reduce the spread of germs. | |
| UTT | Unnecessary touching things | 0.17976 | Be mindful to avoid touching unnecessary things. | |||
| UTT1 | Public objects | 0.26752 | 0.04809 | 6 | People must be careful while touching public objects such as ATM and currency notes. | |
| UTT2 | Own body parts | 0.53770 | 0.09666 | 3 | It is extremely important to avoid touching your body parts, such as the mouth, eyes, and nose. Often hands touch surfaces, may pick up the virus, and infect your body. | |
| UTT3 | Doorknob/stair bannisters | 0.19478 | 0.03501 | 8 | Touching doorknob, lift button, and stair banisters must be avoided. | |
| HD | Healthy Diet | 0.05052 | It is very important to eat a healthy diet during the COVID-19 pandemic. A healthy diet enables the body to fight, prevent, and recover from infections. | |||
| HD1 | Mix whole grain foods | 0.30376 | 0.01535 | 17 | Eat mix wholegrain foods such as maize, wheat, beans, and fresh fruits. These foods are rich in fiber and reduce the risk of infections. | |
| HD2 | Avoid processed, baked, and fried foods | People must avoid processed foods because it includes artificial ingredients, trans fat, and refined carbohydrates. It may increase the risk of infections | ||||
| HD3 | Drink enough water | 0.52421 | 0.02648 | 13 | Drinking enough water keeps your mouth moist that can prevent coronavirus. | |
| I/F | Immunity/Fitness | 0.06663 | The immune system is a network of units that work together to combat invaders, including bacteria, and viruses. Boosting immunity helps to prevent COVID-19. | |||
| I/F1 | Exercise regularly | 0.29364 | 0.01957 | 16 | The experts recommend do exercising moderately boost immunity to fight against COVID-19. | |
| I/F2 | Get adequate sleep | 0.32599 | 0.02172 | 15 | Getting enough sleep support the immunity system. It minimizes risk infections and can improve health for fighting the viruses. | |
| I/F3 | Minimize stress | 0.19573 | 0.01304 | 22 | The coronavirus may cause stress for people because it disrupts daily routines. Reducing stress minimizes the risk of infections. | |
| I/F4 | Maintain a healthy weight | 0.18464 | 0.01230 | 24 | Eating a balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight during COVID. Overweight may put you at risk for diseases. | |
| MH | Monitor your health | 0.09533 | Frequently monitoring your health is an important aspect to prevent COVID. | |||
| MH1 | Shortness of breath | 0.11943 | 0.01141 | 25 | Shortness of breath is also called dyspnea. The coronavirus attacks the lungs and respiratory system. So it is important to perform an exercise to avoid such infections. | |
| MH2 | Fever | 0.28028 | 0.02678 | 12 | Fever is also known as elevated temperature. If body temperature is higher than normal. Frequently check the body temperature may help to prevent the virus. | |
| MH3 | Sore throat | 0.36246 | 0.03464 | 9 | According to CDC sore throat is an early symptom of COVID-19, because the virus inhaled through the nose and throat. So, people must cover your nose and mouth to prevent the ailment. | |
| MH4 | Congestion/runny nose | 0.23764 | 0.02270 | 14 | Congestion/runny nose is also considered as hallmarks of the novel COVID-19. |