Does coronavirus need or require isolation?

It is absolutely necessary for people who contracted coronavirus (COVID-19) to isolate themselves. We have been told in recent days that we have to wash our hands properly and disinfect when we touch something dirty. By washing our hands, we are slowing down the spread of coronavirus. It is as simple as that because hand washing or using alcohol-based hand rub kills the virus that may be in your hands. The virus, too, can easily spread through the hands. This is why isolation is very important. 

If a person has been infected with coronavirus, they could easily pass it on when they cough or sneeze and small virus-laden droplets from their mouth or nose will be breathed in by somebody close to them. Or the infected person may cover themselves with their hands when they cough but then touch another person with their virus-carrying hands. This is why it is extremely vital that a person with the dreaded COVID-19 be isolated. 

COVID-19 should be taken seriously. Over 110,000 people have already been infected so far and the figure is increasing every day. The virus has already taken the lives of 3,831 people and counting. Some 109 countries have already reported at least one case with China, the source of the virus, taking the top spot for the most number of cases: 80,738 cases including 3,120 deaths. 

COVID-19 is becoming a pandemic. People infected should be isolated. People who have travelled to places where COVID-19 is a critical health issue—China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Germany, Spain, the U.S., Japan and Switzerland, among others—should self-quarantine for at least two weeks when they experience flu-like symptoms.