In 2020, an unpredictable epidemic will sweep the world, and public health and epidemic prevention will re-enter the vision of mankind and become an indispensable part of daily life. So, does the space beyond the earth need epidemic prevention? The answer is yes.
By convention, astronauts must undergo a certain period of health quarantine before flying to space. This is mainly to ensure the health of the astronauts in order to successfully complete the space mission. At the same time, it is also to prevent astronauts from bringing viruses or other microorganisms into space.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, space epidemic prevention has become stricter than ever. In the quarantine area, astronauts can only see candidate personnel, no matter who they are, other personnel are not allowed to approach them. Pay attention to social distancing, wash hands frequently, wear masks, take body temperature, and avoid unnecessary contact. Existing epidemic prevention measures cannot be omitted, and all of them must be carefully implemented. After health observation and virus testing to ensure that there is no health condition and no risk of infection, the astronauts were allowed to take off.
In the past, when astronauts flew to the space station, the space agency would hold a grand farewell ceremony for them. At that time, space enthusiasts and government officials from all over the world will come to the scene to give speeches, exchanges, shake hands with astronauts and offer flowers, and visit a training place that is quite mysterious to the public. During the epidemic, all traditional ceremonies were cancelled, there was no grand farewell ceremony, no flowers and no spectators.
Of course, even if the epidemic prevention measures are implemented one by one, there is no guarantee that the space station will be 100% free of bacteria or viruses. When Russia overhauled the Mir space station that had been in operation for 12 years, it was discovered that bacteria, fungi, and mites were present in a panel. That is to say, even in a sealed environment like the space station, microorganisms are still present in a panel. Can survive tenaciously.
Therefore, the cleanliness of the space station is very important. People living on the earth can hire hourly workers to clean the room, while astronauts must do their own hands to clean the space station thoroughly once a week, wipe the floor, walls, and instrument surfaces with antibacterial wipes, and vacuum all kinds of dust. And crumbs. In addition, astronauts must also perform special dehumidification and cleaning of fitness equipment, kitchens and other humid environments with sweat and water droplets.
The space station is different from the earth and belongs to a microgravity environment. Under normal circumstances, viruses and bacteria will attach to the surface of particles and remain suspended in the air. This poses a great risk to astronauts living on the space station 24 hours a day. During the epidemic, the space station also needs to increase the frequency of ventilation, add air filtration devices, and regularly check the microbial content.
For the probe about to fly to Mars, scientists are afraid that it will carry earth microorganisms. The room used to assemble the detector has been specially cleaned, the microbiological indicators are controlled within a certain range, and the cleanliness indicators have reached the highest level. The engineers who assemble the detector wear protective clothing, filter masks and double gloves, and even their underwear has been specially treated to prevent microorganisms and skin tissues from escaping.
Some astronauts have strong anti-virus capabilities, while others are easily infected with viruses. If an astronaut is infected with the new coronavirus in space, the personal sleeping area is the preferred isolation area. At this moment, astronauts must stay in their sleeping area honestly and wear a mask to prevent infection of others.
The space station has a special pharmacy. Astronauts have received medical training in advance. For some common diseases, they can simply treat them, take medicine, give injections, and rest. Of course, medical personnel on the ground will provide services anytime and anywhere in order to analyze the condition and monitor the physical changes of the astronauts. If the condition is not effectively controlled, if necessary, the astronaut infected with the virus will be sent back to Earth.
Bacillus, Staphylococcus, etc., given that the microbes of the space station pose a certain risk to the earth, after returning to the earth, the astronauts must be quarantined again to ensure that the space creatures are controlled within a safe range.
Not long ago, the new crown vaccine of some countries was successfully developed, and the Russian health department first announced that it would vaccinate "Satellite-V" for its astronauts. It can be seen that for the safety of space epidemic prevention, human beings have broken their hearts.
