COVID-19, caused by the novel strain of coronavirus, spreads rapidly through person-to-person interaction. It’s also possible that a healthy person can get the disease by coming in contact with a surface that has the virus on it. This means even if you are a healthy individual with a great immune system, you could still be a carrier.
What if you carry those germs home to your ageing parents who are the most vulnerable at the moment? The risk of contracting the disease multiplies if you don’t follow certain protocols when entering your house during the coronavirus outbreak. In this blog, we will be discussing just that and a lot more on how you can ensure safety at home.
Let’s get started.
Follow These Protocols When Entering Your House during the Coronavirus Outbreak
There are certain guidelines shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on what precautionary measures one should take to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Washing hands, social distancing are some of the best safety tips to follow. You must also take into consideration certain protocols to follow when entering your home. Take a look:
- Leave your shoes outside
- Don’t touch anything
- Use a tissue paper to turn on door knobs
- Leave purse, keys, wallet at the nearest entry point
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds
- Change your clothes and place them in a laundry bag
- Wash all exposed areas or take a bath
- Disinfect, mobile phone and all grocery bags with bleach solution
Let’s discuss these points in detail.
Leave your shoes outside
Infectious disease specialists warn that COVID-19 can live up on the sole of a shoe for up to five days. Footwear can carry coronavirus germs, especially if they have been worn in busy marketplaces like supermarkets, hospitals etc. You never know if your shoes are carrying the coronavirus germs.
What if you are spreading the germs all over the place unintentionally? Even if you are in a lockdown, staying at home, what if a family member who has been out all day brings their shoes inside, causing the coronavirus germs to spread. Remember, the shoes’ sole is the perfect breeding ground for coronavirus.
Don’t touch anything
As soon as you enter your house, remember not to touch anything. It is best to carry a tissue paper in your hand. You should also sanitise your hands before entering the house. If you touch any surface, you might unintentionally transfer the coronavirus germs onto it, which can then be picked up by any kid or elderly person in the house. Be extra careful and vigilant. Watch your every move and just don’t touch anything.
A common misconception is that wearing gloves can stop the spread of the disease. The glove can also get infected and can be the source of spread. Similarly, if you are wearing a mask, discard the disposable ones after 24 hours. If you are wearing the cloth mask, then wash it daily as it can also carry germs. Maybe if someone sneezes or coughs, the outer layer of the mask can carry the coronavirus germs.
It is also advised not to touch your face as it can increase the chances of you contracting the disease.
Use a tissue paper to turn on door knobs
Keep a set of tissues with you at all times. Don’t touch the door knob without having a tissue in your hand. You might transmit the germs unintentionally. Make sure to touch the door knob with a clean tissue paper. It is also advised to keep a bleach solution spray bottle in your pocket through which you can disinfect surfaces immediately.
Leave purse, keys, wallet at the nearest entry point
Once you have entered the house, leave all your belongings at the nearest entry point. The purse, keys, wallet or any bag you have brought from outside.
Don’t carry everything inside the house as it can increase the chances of spreading coronavirus in the house. Once you have washed your hands, disinfect your mobile phones, car keys, wallet and hand-bag with the bleach solution. Check out these home cleaning tips to keep your house free from coronavirus.
Wash your hands for 20 seconds
As soon as you enter the room, walk into the washroom and wash your hands immediately. Also, you should wash your hands with soap and water or any liquid antibacterial handwash for 20 seconds. Watch this video released by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) explaining how we should wash hands to protect ourselves from coronavirus.
Change your clothes and place them in a laundry bag
Immediately change your clothes and keep the dirty clothes in a laundry bag. Toss them into the washing machine and wash your clothes in the warmest possible setting. This will kill the coronavirus germs, if present any.
Wash all exposed areas or take a bath
You must wash all exposed areas with soap and water. If possible, take a bath. This will thoroughly cleanse you from any kind of coronavirus germs. The 20 second handwash rule would apply here as well. Make sure you build up the lather well when washing any exposed area.
Disinfect, mobile phone and all grocery bags with bleach solution
It is important to disinfect all your belongings with a homemade disinfectant solution. If you have brought grocery with you, then make sure to spray a bleach solution on it. Here’s how you can make your own natural disinfectant at home.
Take ¼ cup of household bleach in 1 gallon of cold water. Mix it well and store the mixture in spray bottles. Whenever you want to disinfect any surface, spray the bleach solution and let it sit for sometime then wipe off the surface. You can disinfect the entire house using this sanitising technique.
Protocols to Follow When Leaving the House During COVID-19 Pandemic
Just like it is important to maintain protocols when entering your house during the coronavirus outbreak, it is equally important to follow these protocols when leaving the safety of your home. Make sure you take these safety measures before venturing out of the house.
- Put on a mask
- Keep a pocket sanitiser
- Don’t use jam-packed public transport
- Carry tissues in your purse
- Practise social distancing
- Follow respiratory hygiene
- Use a tissue to press elevator buttons or any surface
- Don’t touch your face
Let’s now discuss these factors to consider in detail.
Put on a mask
Make it a point. Whenever you or any of your family members are leaving the house (even if it is a small trip to the nearest grocery shop), wear a mask. If there is no mask available in the market, don’t worry you can make your own mask in a short time. Keep a mask in your bag as well. Just in case you forget to wear it, you have a spare one in your bag.
Keep a pocket sanitiser
The World Health Organisation and the CDC are stressing upon the importance of washing hands for 20 seconds and also frequently sanitising your hands to help slow the spread of the disease. Keep a pocket sanitiser with you in your bag.
Wherever you are traveling keep sanitising your hands frequently. Also, since there is a shortage of hand sanitisers in Pakistan, try your hand at making your own hand sanitiser using this simple recipe.
Don’t use jam-packed public transport
Avoid traveling as much as possible, but if you can’t avoid going to work, then don’t take the usual public transport. Moreover, avoid places that are jam-packed. Don’t stand in long queues, even if you are getting your medicine from a pharmacy store. Less physical interaction is the only possible way of staying safe from COVID-19.
Carry tissues in your purse
Have a small pack of tissues in your purse at all times. Whenever you have to touch anything, take a clean tissue paper and use it to touch any surface, especially when you are outside the home. Remember, nothing is safe outside the house. The only way you can stay safe from coronavirus is by taking appropriate precautionary measures.
Practise social distancing
Don’t hang out with friends or even family. A lockdown means that you should avoid mingling with people. Even your closest friend or family member can have coronavirus. Don’t take the risk.
One person can spread the germs to thousands of people. Act responsible and don’t be the cause of the spread. When you are out of the house, practice social distancing at all times. Whether you are grocery shopping or buying medicines from a grocery store – maintain a 6 feet distance from the person in front of you in a queue. Check out how you can safely shop for groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Follow respiratory hygiene
Although practicing good hygiene should be of prime importance in our daily lives, we should also make sure that we cover our nose and mouth with a tissue paper when coughing and sneezing.
Discard the tissue paper in a closed bin immediately. If you don’t have a tissue paper, then use the bend curve of your elbow to shield the droplets from dispersing into the air. One wrong step can put so many people’s lives at risk.
Use a tissue to press elevator buttons or any surface
If you are going to your workplace during the coronavirus outbreak, then don’t touch the elevator buttons. Either use disposable gloves, or press the buttons using a tissue paper. So many people touch the same elevator buttons when walking into the building.
Only one infected person’s touch can spread the germs to many people. Don’t take the risk. Use a tissue paper to press the lift buttons. Throw away the tissue paper into the dustbin.
Don’t touch your face
All government officials, WHO officials and members of the CDC have laid great emphasis on this: Don’t touch your face. We all have a habit of scratching our face or touching it inadvertently.
Make a conscious effort of not touching your face especially when you are out of the safety bounds of your home. Sanitise your hands more often.
So, these were some of the most important points to consider before entering or leaving your home. Follow these tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from coronavirus.
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