The Coronavirus outbreak caused almost everyone to be more conscious about hygiene and what sort of germs and viral detritus they are traipsing into their home after spending time outside. After all, no one wants to bring unwanted germs back home with them. However, there is no need to add some extra panic in these tense times. So, what are the best ways to keep your living space safe and virus-free? Well, here are some crucial hygiene tips to follow right now.
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1) Leave your shoes outside of your house.
There may be no dirtier wardrobe item than our shoes. While contacting the COVID-19 virus through our shoes seems like a long shot, there’s no such thing as being too careful at times like these. Taling to HuffPost, emergency physician Cwanza Pinckney, MD, said: “The sole of the shoe is the breeding ground of more bacteria and fungi and viruses than the upper part of a shoe.”
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2) Change your clothes when returning home.
In an interview with NPR, Daniel Kuritzkes, MD, an infectious disease expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: “flat surfaces and hard surfaces are more friendly to viruses than cloth or rough surfaces.” So, taking off your clothes when coming back home is sure to be a great idea. If you want to be extra safe, throw your clothes immediately in the washing machine.
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3) Taking a shower as soon as you get home.
After taking off your close, it’s a good idea to hop into the shower. Try avoiding touching any items or sitting on furniture before washing up. Use hot water and scrub extra good areas of your body that were most exposed. As in hand washing, scrub for at least 20-seconds.
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4) Clean under your nails often.
Plenty of dirt, grime, and germs can live under your fingernails. Even before the coronavirus outbreak, the CDC recommended hospital workers don’t keep their nails long or wear artificial nails, as germs can remain under your nails even after you wash your hands. Washing hands isn’t enough to keep this area clean, so you must be pretty diligent in cleaning it.
5) Don’t jewelry outside.
Jewelry is an easy target for bacteria and viruses. So, make sure to clean them after going outside, or better yet, don’t wear it outside at all. In an interview with Best Life, Ramon Tallaj, MD, a board-certified physician and chairman of the board of SOMOS Community Care, said: “Removing your rings may lead to better hand hygiene. If the rings are contaminated and you put them back on after washing your hands, you’ve just re-contaminated your hands.”
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6) Avoid touching your face.
As your hand can have all kinds of viruses and germs after touching an infected area, you should avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Even though, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, touching a surface or object with the virus and then touching one’s face “is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the CDC, the World Health Organization and others health authorities emphasized its importance in preventing the spread of the virus.
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7) Cover your mouth with your elbow.
Like many respiratory viruses, including flu, COVID-19 can spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough or sneeze. This is why it is very important to cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
8) Finally, wash your hands for 20 seconds.
I know you heard this one before, but it’s critical in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. It’s very simple. Hot water, lots of soup, and at least 20 seconds of intense scrubbing; that’s all it requires.
Please, make sure to follow these tips. We will get through this together. Be safe.
