Coronavirus: are your current hygiene habits protecting you?
Written in association with:
Published: 30/03/2020
Edited by: Emma McLeod
The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is infamous for its ability to rapidly spread through populations. By staying mindful of good-hygiene, you can hinder its spread as much as possible and therefore, increasing protection for yourself and others. Fortunately, the most highly effective hygiene measures (that are proven by scientific and health experts) could be considered as “basic” actions. As a result, they are very easy to integrate into your day-to-day living.
Avoid touching your face
Why is touching your face a bad idea right now? By touching your face, you’re increasing the chance of directly transporting COVID-19 to your mucous membranes, which are most susceptible to the virus transmission. These are the membranes that line your mouth, nose and eyes.
If you regularly do such things like biting fingernails or rubbing your eyes, now is a better time than ever to break the habit. Click here for a more detailed look into why we touch our faces and why it’s hard to stop.
Use correct hand washing techniques
From as young as infancy, people learn to wash their hands. However, in a time of COVID-19, a quick flick of water and a dash of soap will no longer suffice. Washing your hands thoroughly is actually one of the most effective ways in lowering the risk of catching and spreading the coronavirus.
Public Health England advises spending at least 20 seconds thoroughly washing your hands Make sure you rub soap into every crevice Follow the 10-step instruction provided by the World Health Organisation
If you do not have soap and water available to you, use alcohol-based hand rub that contains at least 60% alcohol. This is the second-best option.
Wash your hands after being outside
Germs are invisible. Therefore, it’s impossible to know which germs from the outside world are currently in your home. As soon as you arrive home, the first thing you should do is wash your hands and touch as few objects as possible before doing so.
Hands can transfer germs from places like public transport or the supermarket directly to a host of your household objects: a few light switches, the kitchen sink, some door handles, maybe a TV remote, to name a few examples. This sets off a chain reaction; anyone you live with can touch these objects after you and by touching their own face, the virus may transmit to them.
Clean frequently used objects
All commonly used household objects i.e door handles, surfaces, light switches, remotes etc.
COVID-19 is still a new coronavirus. At the date of this article being published, it’s not completely known how long this particular coronavirus survives on surfaces. What scientists are certain of, however, is how long other coronaviruses live on surfaces. Coronaviruses can survive from hours up to days on different surfaces and this means that you should regularly clean them with disinfectant.
Your gadgets i.e phone, laptop, tablet, smartwatch etc.
Phones spend a lot of time in their owner’s hands and touch many surfaces throughout the day. Also, your laptop, computer or tablet could be harbouring a mass of bacteria. Therefore, it is advisable to clean your gadgets to prevent transmission of bacteria. Some sources say to avoid disinfectant wipes; we recommend following the advice of your device’s supplier. Apple, for example, has a webpage dedicated to how to clean their range of products.
Your phone and digital devices will accumulate germs fast if you’re not keeping your hands clean or following other hygiene practices, so make sure your habits complement one another and don’t cancel each other out.
Glasses
Throughout the day, there’s a good chance you’ll be touching materials and surfaces then proceed to adjust, put on or remove your glasses. Make sure you clean these to stop them from becoming a harbour of germs.
Clean or disinfect objects that you take into the house
If you’re going to the supermarket, try to disinfect the packaging before unloading the items in your home, or remove a product’s contents and place it into a clean container quickly. By doing so, you minimise the risk of bringing goods into your home that someone who is unknowingly infected with COVID-19 may have touched in the supermarket.
This advice works with any item that does not originate from inside your home. While the coronavirus is not expected to survive on parcels sent through mail, you can still remove the contents and disinfect them in a suitable manner for that material to completely minimise the risk.
Social distancing
The previously mentioned tips alone do not fully guarantee that the virus cannot reach you, but they are your strongest chance of avoiding infection alongside social distancing.
Social distancing is the act of minimising your exposure to your community by physically distancing yourself from others; be it by staying at home or leaving a distance of two metres between yourself and another person. Distance is necessary because viruses are notorious for their ability to travel via bodily fluids like saliva or mucus. Droplets from coughs and sneezes that contain viruses, including COVID-19, can travel as far as several feet!
Work from home if you can. If that’s not possible, minimise your exposure to others in every way possible at work and while travelling to and from work. Only go outside when absolutely necessary. Don’t come within 2 metres of anyone outside of your household. Avoid visiting friends and family. It might be tempting to see them but social distancing protects them, you and the whole community.
These hygiene tips are easy to implement into your daily life. Remember, by staying mindful about hygiene and staying home as much as possible, you’re protecting others as well as yourself.