mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
I am safe, but I am suffering from mental / sexual / social / long-term physical health problems because of violence. Is there anyone who can help me during COVID-19?
As much as possible, reduce sources of stress:


Maintain contact with and seek support from family and friends via phone, email, text, etc. 


Try to maintain daily routines and make time for physical activity and sleep. 


Use relaxation exercises (e.g. slow breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding exercises – see WHO Clinical handbook p.70) to relieve stressful thoughts and feelings. 


Engage in activities that in the past have helped with managing adversity. 


Seek information about COVID- 19 from reliable sources and reduce the time spent consuming news (for example, 1-2 times per day, rather than every hour). 


Seek care from a trained health provider for symptoms and conditions including
injuries that need medical attention. Due to restrictions on movement, and
pressure on health systems, it may be difficult to access healthcare in person
at this time. In this case, find out what is available in your locality and
seek alternatives, including information and support offered by phone or
online.  
If you are currently receiving healthcare and support for violence-related
issues this could continue during COVID-19 – this could even be by phone or
online if feasible and appropriate for your health needs.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
I am a health worker. How can I help women survivors of violence during COVID-19?
As a health worker, there are things you can do to help mitigate the impacts
of violence on women and children at any time, including during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Whilst your time and resources may be stretched during this health emergency,
you have a duty of care to women who may seek help from you – often to address
physical and mental hurt caused by violence.
You may need to adjust how you deliver services, if face-to-face care is not
possible. Depending on your resources consider mobile phone, WhatsApp or other
communication channels to deliver support, always ensuring you can do this in
a way that is safe for the survivor. Communicate openly with women about any
changes in service delivery.
If a woman with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 seeks your care because of
violence, your response should be the same as for any other survivor. You
should however ensure that you are protected from infection, by maintaining
distance where possible, wearing protective clothing, practicing respiratory
hygiene, and washing hands and surfaces with soap and water regularly and
after touching, to avoid infection.
In any circumstances, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, health workers
should provide first-line support, using the LIVES approach to help women
survivors of violence:
L isten closely, with empathy and no judgement
I nquire about women’s needs and concerns
V alidate women’s experiences. Show you believe and understand.
E nhance their safety.
S upport women to connect with additional services.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
I have harmed or am worried about harming or hurting my partner (and children) with my words or actions. How can I stop?


If you feel yourself getting angry or very annoyed, step away into another room if you can, or outside for a deep breath. 


Count to ten and breathe in and out until you feel calmer. Count down from 10, or do anything else that may help you stay calm. 


Talk to a trusted friend, relative, or religious leader and if necessary seek help from local health services or specialized services if available. 


Recognize that everyone in your family is experiencing stress during this time. 


Demonstrate kindness and patience in your words and actions. 


Eliminate or reduce your alcohol consumption as much as possible. 


The current measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, such as restrictions on
movement, as well as financial instability caused by the crisis, are likely to
add to your stress. This is normal, and you can control how you react. Take
measures to ensure you manage your stress in a way that is respectful and safe
to you and your family. Try to be kind to yourself, your partner, children and
anyone else in the family.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
I am a policy maker. What can I do to prevent and address violence against women during COVID-19?


When making preparedness and response plans for the COVID-19 pandemic, include essential services for violence against women. 


Allocate adequate resources for services for survivors and identify ways to make them accessible – particularly in the context of measures to restrict people’s movement. 


Explore the use of telemedicine, digital health, or mhealth to enhance access to support and services for survivors, while ensuring this is safe for them. 


Explore alternative shelters for women who may require this. 


Ensure that lockdown measures do not penalize women for seeking support when experiencing violence, such as by going to the police or hospital to report violence.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
Home is not a safe place for me. What can I do?
If you are experiencing violence, it may be helpful to reach out to family,
friends and neighbors, to seek support from a hotline or, if safe, from online
service for survivors of violence. Find out if local services (e.g. shelters,
counselling) are open and reach out to them if available.
Make a safety plan in case the violence against you or your children
escalates. This includes:


Identifying a neighbour, friend, relative, colleague, or shelter to go to in case you need to leave the house immediately for safety. 


Have a plan for how you will exit the house safely and how you will reach there (e.g. transport). 


Keep a few essential items (e.g. identification documents, phone, money, medicines, and clothes) available, and a list of telephone numbers in case of an emergency. 


If possible, develop a code with a trusted neighbour so they can come to your aid in case of an emergency.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
I want to report an incidence of violence during COVID-19. What should I do?
If you want to report an incidence of violence, you should follow your
country’s guidance on how to report violence and contact the service where you
are most likely to get a survivor-centred response.
Some countries are making exceptions to movement restrictions for reporting of
violence specifically. Remember that reporting may put you at risk, so ensure
you have a safety plan in place.
You may find making a report mentally or emotionally difficult. Seek the
support of friends, relations, neighbours or colleagues, or local support
services for survivors of violence.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
Why should I care about violence against women during COVID-19?
Violence against women is a grave violation of women’s human rights, no matter
when, where, or how it takes place. There are many forms of violence against
women, which have many potential negative health consequences for women and
their children.
Violence against women can result in injuries and serious physical, mental,
sexual and reproductive health problems, including sexually transmitted
infections, HIV, and unplanned pregnancies. In extreme cases, violence against
women can result in death.
The effects of violence are very often long-lived. Violence – in all its forms
– can have an impact on a woman’s well-being throughout the rest of her life.
This is unacceptable, and the risks of violence that women and their children
face during the current COVID-19 crisis cannot be ignored.
When we are able to prevent violence, or to support women survivors of
violence, we help to safeguard women’s human rights, and promote physical and
mental health and well-being for women throughout their lives. This also helps
to alleviate pressure on already stretched essential public services,
including the health system.
Q&A: Violence against women during COVID-19
Has violence against women increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Violence against women is highly prevalent, and intimate partner violence is
the most common form of violence. During health emergencies, such as the
COVID-19 pandemic, violence against women tends to increase.
Whilst data are scarce, reports from across the world, including China, the
United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other countries suggest a
significant increase in domestic violence cases related to the COVID-19
pandemic. Reports from other countries suggest a reduction in survivors
seeking services due to a combination of lockdown measures and not wanting to
attend health services for fear of infection.
Questions relating to consumers
Is it still safe to go to food markets? Animal markets? Wet markets?
It should be safe provided it is possible to maintain a safe physical distance
of at least one metre from all other shoppers and staff, it is possible to
wash/sanitize hands, and that Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Hygienic
Practices (GMP/GHP) standards are maintained in the market. For more
recommendations on how to minimise the risk of transmission of emerging
pathogens in wet markets, see the WHO recommendations to reduce risk of
transmission of emerging pathogens from animals to humans in live animal
markets or animal product markets.
Questions relating to consumers
What precautions should consumers take in grocery stores?
Consumers should maintain a safe physical distance of at least one metre from
all other shoppers and staff while queuing before entering the store and while
shopping in the store. If a trolley or basket is used while shopping, sanitize
the handle before and after use. Hands should be sanitized before entering the
store. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette while in the store. Avoid
touching mouth, nose or eyes during shopping. Minimise direct hand contact
with food by using available tongs and serving utensils. Use contactless
payment rather than cash/notes (where feasible).
Questions relating to food businesses
What measures should be taken to ensure safe transport of food during this pandemic?
The general guidelines outlined in the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for
the Transport of Food in Bulk and Semi-Packed Food.1
should be followed, in addition to ensuring that employees delivering foods
are free from COVID-19, coughing/sneezing etiquette is practiced by all
involved in food transport and that frequent hand washing/sanitizing is
practiced and staff practice physical distancing.
See also other Codes of Hygienic Practice for various groups of
food.
Questions relating to food businesses
Should grocery store workers wear gloves? Masks?
Disposable Gloves
Gloves may be used by food workers but must be changed frequently and hands
must be washed between glove changes and when gloves are removed. Gloves must
be changed after carrying out non-food related activities such as
opening/closing doors by hand, and emptying bins. Food workers should be aware
that wearing gloves can allow bacteria to build up on the surface of the
hands, so hand washing is extremely important when gloves are removed to avoid
subsequent contamination of food. Food workers should not touch their mouth,
nose and eyes when wearing gloves.
Disposable gloves can give a false sense of safety and should not be used in
the food work environment as a substitute for hand washing. The COVID-19 virus
can contaminate disposable gloves in the same way it can get onto workers
hands and contact surfaces. Removal of disposable gloves can lead to
contamination of hands. Wearing disposable gloves can give you a false sense
of security and may result in staff not washing hands as frequently as
required.
Handwashing is a greater protective barrier to infection than wearing of
disposable gloves. Food businesses need to ensure adequate sanitary facilities
are provided and ensure food workers thoroughly and frequently wash their
hands. Soap and water is adequate for hand washing. Hand sanitisers can be
used as an additional measure but should not replace hand washing.
Wearing of Face Masks
WHO advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19
should be followed. Face Masks do not have to be routinely used by food
workers to protect against transmission of COVID-19. However, for some food
processing activities, such as working in abattoirs or handling cooked, ready-
to-eat foods, wearing face masks is a usual practice.
WHO recommends that face masks should be used if a person is sick with
symptoms of COVID-19 (especially coughing) or looking after someone with
suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
However, a food worker who is sick or who has symptoms of COVID-19 should not
be allowed to work in grocery stores or other food businesses and should be
excluded from work until free of symptoms or deemed fit for work by a medical
doctor.
Questions relating to food businesses
How can food businesses remain safe from virus contamination?
The main priority is to keep the virus out of the food environment. Several
key measures are required including upgrading of cleaning and sanitation
measures, disinfecting surfaces and high-touch points, educating staff on the
virus and how to protect themselves and others, reinforcing protocols such as
physical distancing, hand washing, and improved security with people staying
in their vehicles/sanitizing hands when handing out documents and other
material. ****
Questions relating to food businesses
How should food premises be cleaned/disinfected during this pandemic?
The general guidelines outlined in the General Principles of Food
Hygiene
for food processing and manufacture premises should be followed. If a
suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 is identified in a food premises then
there is a requirement to completely clean the area with a neutral detergent,
followed by decontamination of surfaces using a disinfectant effective against
viruses. All surfaces that the infected employee has come into contact with
must be cleaned, including all surfaces and objects which are visibly
contaminated with body fluids/respiratory secretions, and all potentially
contaminated high-contact areas such as toilets, door handles, telephones.
Alcohol based sanitizers/surface disinfectants should be used for cleaning
purposes. In general, alcohol-based disinfectants (ethanol, propan-2-ol,
propan-1-ol) have been shown to significantly reduce infectivity of enveloped
viruses like SARS-CoV-2, in concentrations of 70-80% with one-minute exposure
time. Chlorine-based disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite) are effective for
surface decontamination, as are disinfectants with active ingredients based on
quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATS).
All staff should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after any contact
with someone who is unwell with symptoms consistent with coronavirus
infection. Staff engaged in environmental cleaning should wear PPE when
performing cleaning activities, such as overalls or uniform, single-use
plastic aprons, gloves and a face mask. Protective clothing (e.g. uniforms,
overalls, etc.) should be frequently washed at 60°C or above.
Questions relating to food businesses
What is known about various conditions affecting survivability of the virus?
Very little is known about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus survives outside the human
body. Probably the most up-to-date summary of scientific information we have
on survival in the environment is from the European Centre for Disease control
(ECDC) and the following is extracted from their recent technical
report:
Recent publications have evaluated the survival of SARS-CoV-2 on different
surfaces. According to van Doremalen et al., the environmental stability of
SARS-CoV-2 is up to three hours in the air post-aerosolization, up to four
hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on
plastic and stainless steel, albeit with significantly decreased titres [3].
These findings are comparable with results obtained for environmental
stability of SARS-CoV-1. These findings resulted from experiments in a
controlled environment and should be interpreted with caution in the real-life
environment. Moreover, different levels of environmental contamination have
been detected in rooms of COVID-19 patients, ranging from 1 out of 13 to 13
out of 15 samples testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 before cleaning. No air
samples were positive in these studies, but one sample from an air exhaust
outlet was positive indicating that virus particles may be displaced by air
and deposited on surfaces [4,5]. In a study of environmental contamination in
a Chinese hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in
environmental samples from the COVID-19 dedicated intensive care units (ICU),
the COVID-19 dedicated obstetric isolation ward and the COVID-19 dedicated
isolation ward. SARS-CoV-2 was also detected on objects such as the self-
service printers used by patients to self-print the results of their exams,
desktop keyboards and doorknobs. Virus was detected most commonly on gloves
(15.4% of samples) and rarely on eye protection (1.7%) [6]. This evidence
shows the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment of a COVID-19 patient,
therefore reinforcing the belief that fomites play a role in transmission of
SARS-CoV-2; however, the relative importance of this route of transmission
compared to direct exposure to respiratory droplets is still unclear.
Questions relating to food businesses
What is the most appropriate sanitizer to use on surfaces in a food production environment?
In general, alcohol-based disinfectants (ethanol, propan-2-ol, propan-1-ol)
have been shown to significantly reduce infectivity of enveloped viruses like
SARS-CoV-2, in concentrations of 70-80% with one-minute exposure time.
Chlorine-based disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite) are effective for surface
decontamination, as are disinfectants with active ingredients based on
quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATS).
Questions relating to food businesses
What specific precautions do food workers need to take?
Physical distancing, good personal hygiene with frequent hand washing, and
application of general food hygiene measures are the most important
precautions food workers should adopt. Physical distancing is very important
to help slow the spread of coronavirus. This is achieved by minimising contact
between potentially infected individuals and healthy individuals. Frequent
hand washing with soap and water and use of hand sanitizers are also important
in reducing the risk of transmission. All food businesses should follow the
physical distancing and hand washing guidance of WHO.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted several practical guidelines on how to
apply and implement best practices to ensure food hygiene (Codex General
Principles of Food Hygiene,
CXC 1- 1969),
handle meats (Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for
Meat,
CXC 58 – 2005),
and control viruses in foods (Guidelines for the Application of General
Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Viruses in
Food
(CAC/GL 79-2012).
Enhanced food safety practices at this time, such as those recommended in the
Codex documents mentioned, will reduce the likelihood of contamination of
foods with any pathogen and help lowering the public health burden caused by
already established foodborne infections, reducing the stress on an already
overburdened public health system.
Questions relating to food businesses
When can an employee return to work following illness? Are temperature checks appropriate?
A return to work policy for staff who have been infected and recovered from
COVID-19 should be in place. WHO recommends that a confirmed patient could be
released from isolation once their symptoms resolve and they have two negative
PCR tests at least 24 hours apart. If testing is not possible, WHO
recommends that a confirmed patient can be released from isolation 14 days
after symptoms resolve.
Taking the temperature of food workers is not recommended. Fever is only one
of the symptoms of COVID-19 and absence of fever alone is not a reliable
indicator of wellness. As part of a food business ‘fitness to work’
guidelines, staff should report to management if they are sick with typical
COVID-19 symptoms, particularly fever.
Questions relating to food businesses
How should employees maintain safe distance from one another during food production and processing?
WHO guidelines are to maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) between fellow
workers. Where the food production environment makes it difficult to do so,
employers need to consider what measures to put in place to protect employees.
Examples of practical measures to adhere to physical distancing guidance in
the food processing environment are to:

stagger workstations on either side of processing lines so that food workers are not facing one another,
provide personal protection equipment (PPE) such as face masks, hair nets, disposable gloves, clean overalls and slip reduction work shoes for staff. The use of PPE would be routine in high risk areas of food premises that produce ready-to-eat and cooked foods. When staff are dressed in PPE it is possible to reduce distance between workers,
space out workstations, which may require reduction in the speed of production lines,
limit the number of staff in a food preparation area at any one time,
organise staff into working groups or teams to facilitate reduced interaction between groups, including during change of work shifts.
Questions relating to food businesses
How should baked goods and fresh produce be displayed in a food market/grocery store?
It is important to maintain good hygiene practices around open food displays,
with ready-to-eat food products such as salad bars, fresh produce displays and
bakery products. Consumers should always be advised to wash fruits and
vegetables with potable water prior to consumption. Both customers and staff
should strictly observe good personal hygiene practices at all times around
open food areas.
In order to hygienically manage open food displays and to avoid the
transmission of COVID-19 through surface contact, food retailers should:

Maintain frequent washing and sanitising of all food contact surfaces and utensils;
Require food service workers to frequently wash hands, and, if using gloves, these must be changed;
Require food service workers to frequently clean and sanitise counters, serving utensils and condiment containers;
Make available hand sanitiser for consumers on their way in and out of the food premises;
Should consider not openly displaying or selling unwrapped bakery products from self-service counters. Bakery products on open, self-service displays in retail stores should be placed in plastic/cellophane or paper packaging. Where loose bakery products are displayed in retail stores, these should be placed in plexiglass display cabinets and placed in bags using tongs when customers are served.
Ready-to-eat salads available in retail for self-serve, should also be placed behind plexiglass display cabinets and serving utensils should be frequently sanitized.
Questions relating to food businesses
Could the virus be transmitted from humans to food animals or vice versa?
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that food animals could be a
possible route for transmission of COVID-19 to humans or that food animals can
become infected by humans. Studies are underway to better understand the
susceptibility of different animal species to the COVID-19 virus and to assess
infection dynamics in susceptible animal species. Additional information can
be found on the website of the World Organisation for Animal Health
(OIE).