Proper hygiene and sanitation
Protect yourself from infection
1. Single most important thing we can do to control the spread is wash our hands. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are not a replacement for handwashing but should be used when you are unable to wash them
2. Most people are not effectively washing their hands
3. Wet hands, apply soap, scrub for 30sec minimum, scrub up wrists as far as is practical, rinse with hot water, rinse hands from the fingertips down to move germs away from the fingers, dry completely
4. At the minimum wash hands, after using the bathroom, before and after eating, before and after handling food, before you leave the house and as soon as you come home, after touching surfaces that come into frequent use such as public touch screens, door handles and hand railings. If you think you are washing your hands too much, double it.
5. STOP touching your face! Viruses like COVID19 most commonly enter through the mouth, nose and eyes of a person who has touched their face with contaminated hands
6. It is important to use effective disinfectants. You can use alcohol based disinfectant (or just plain rubbing alcohol 70% or higher) Lysol, and chlorine bleach based cleaners. If unsure about a disinfectant, read the back label. Make sure it is effective against BOTH viruses and bacteria. Use as directed.
7. You can make a disinfectant spray to keep with you. Take a small, empty spray bottle and thoroughly wash and dry. Fill with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol of 70% or higher. This can be used as a safe and effective way to disinfect on the go. When disinfecting electronics, spray the alcohol on a cloth or paper towel first and then wipe down the object.
8. DISINFECT YOUR CELLPHONE! Cellphones on average have more micro-organisms on them than a toilet seat! This is because we are touching them off and on all day and forget to disinfect them. It’s no good washing you hands if you are just going to pick your contaminated phone up right after. Disinfect phones several times a day with an alcohol based solution. To prevent damage to your phone, put the disinfectant on a cloth or paper towel and THEN wipe down your phone, front , sides and back.
9. Disinfect your money. Yes, really. Money such as bills and coins change hands incredibly fast and no one ever disinfects them. A virus that can live on surfaces for days such as COVID19 can be passed from one side of your country to the other carrying the virus. Avoid touching money as much as possible. Disinfect money by spraying with an alcohol based disinfectant or Lysol until damp (not wet) allow to dry completely. Credit and debit cards should also be disinfected after use.
10. Public touch screens are just as bad as cellphones! Avoid them if possible. When using a public touch screen, wipe down with a cloth or paper towel sprayed with an alcohol based disinfectant before and after use. If you work with a touch pad, disinfect frequently and at the same times as you would wash your hands. It’s no good to wash your hands to then touch a contaminated object.
11. Disinfect frequently used objects such as door handles, railings, keyboards, phones, desks, tables, light switches.
12. Pay close attention to community spaces such as office break rooms. Such places should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at the beginning of the day and at the end. During the day please disinfect things like table tops, chair backs, counters, refrigerator handles and commonly touched appliances after use. ALWAYS wash hands after spending time in a community space so as not to transfer germs.
13. DO NOT shake hands. Period. Avoid ANY direct contact with others in public. Who knows, maybe this virus will give us a new traditional greeting! But DON’T make direct contact. No fist bumps, no high fives, nothing where your hands touch theirs.
14. Do not share food and drinks. Period. This virus is capable of making someone contagious without symptoms. Make sure that children in your care are following this very important precaution.
This is very well done! Thank you for taking the time.