10 Pandemic tips for safely leaving and returning home.
The world is a bewildering place right now. Being a parent during this time is perhaps even more surreal. COVID-19 has completely hijacked our world and there is no telling when we will return to normalcy. I was working on another post to help us all think though life in the time of the Corona virus, but given the soon-to-be reopening world, I decided it was prudent to put out a few PSAs to ensure that when your family re-enters the world, you can be as safe as possible.
Throughout this entire pandemic, I have still been going to work at my pediatric office—and, over this time, I have learned that there are both safer and less safe ways of being in the world. Aside from the many cases of COVID-19, babies continue to be born every day, and children continue to be injured and sick with non-COVID illnesses. Leaving the safety of your home for these reasons, not to mention the occasional trip to the grocery store, is necessary and important. Now, with phased re-opening of our communities, the number of people on the streets will certainly continue to grow. So, I’d like to emphasize a few general safety rules for venturing out into the world. In a subsequent post, I will walk your through the appropriate donning and doffing (i.e., putting on and removing of) your mask.
TEN RULES FOR SAFELY LEAVING AND RETURING TO YOUR HOME:
1) Consolidate your trips. If you need to venture out, getting all of your errands done at once will reduce your overall exposure time and make the process of returning home easier.
2) Only bring your kids with you if absolutely necessary. Following the rules of safety yourself is one thing. Making sure that your 3-year-old isn’t touching everything and then her face is another. We’ve all probably seen the memes of kids licking railings or trying to eat shopping carts!
3) Carry the fewest number of things with you as possible. The fewer items you bring with you, the lower the risk of contamination, and, the fewer belongings you will need to decontaminate when you get home. For example, I have gotten in the habit of putting my phone, a credit card, and my driver’s license in a plastic zip-lock bag and leaving everything else at home. Tossing or sanitizing a plastic bag is much easier than your entire purse or wallet.
4) Bring hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) with you and sanitize your hands frequently throughout your trip. Make sure you do this before getting back into your car to decrease contamination within your car.
5) WEAR YOUR MASK. Stay tuned for my next post on masks for details on how to do this safely.
6) Take off your shoes and leave them outside your door. Studies have shown that shoes are one of the main sources of spreading the virus. Remember, coughing is one of the modes of transmission of the virus. Due to gravity, all of those coughed particles end up on the ground for you to walk through. Gross!
7) Wear clothing that is easy to wash. When you get home, strip down and immediately put everything in the washing machine. If you don’t have immediate access to a washing machine, put your clothing into a plastic trash bag. If you wore a cloth mask, you should wash it now too.
8) Wash your hands and your arms up to your elbows with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
9) Take a shower and make sure to wash your hair too.
10) Backtrack through your house and use a sanitizing wipe or paper towel with an approved household cleaner to wipe off everything that you may have touched—including your car door handle, the inside of your car, door knobs, sink faucet handles, and your baggies with your phone and personal items.
While this process may be time consuming and tedious, if it means keeping your family and community safe, it is well worth it. Remember, we are all in this together…. And just as we like to tell our children, even during normal times—Safety first!
