COVID-19 Safety Health Tips for You and Your Family

Just like that, COVID-19 has changed life as we know it: no more spontaneous road trips with friends and family. No more late movie nights at your local theatre. No more clubbing or bar hopping with your clique. Who knows when we will be able to do things like we used to in our respective workplaces? 

Until such time when a foolproof Covid-19 cure is found or a proven-and-tested vaccine is developed – we will have to keep easing into our so-called “new normal”. That said, you can never have too many COVID-19 Safety Health Tips under your sleeve. There is no better time than now to be extremely meticulous to what you bring into your homes, what you eat and your personal hygiene. 

At this point, you may have gone tired already of reading up all these information and jargon-heavy news articles about COVID-19. Hopefully, you have already amassed enough information to help you understand how the virus moves and infects people. The next best step is to find ways to help protect yourself and your family from the threats imposed by this pandemic. 

Here are some Coronavirus Safety Tips & Precautions that might help. 

Wash Your Hands 

The first item in our list of Coronavirus Safety Tips & Precautions may seem like such a small detail in your everyday habits but in truth, it makes an entire difference. Washing your hands under running water with soap can sometimes be 10 times more effective than just spraying on hand sanitizer or alcohol. 

This is because washing your hands with soap breaks down the virus into smaller particles – essentially getting rid of it almost completely. Here is a common tip from experts: wash your hands for at least 20 seconds while singing the chorus to your favourite song. Before you know it, you have already touched on all parts of your hand and you are good to go. 

Disinfect 

While washing your hands is definitely more ideal, it is understandable that you may not always have access to running water and soap at your disposal. Especially when you still have to go out to run some errands or head to work. That said, it is important to have a bottle of alcohol right at your disposal.

Whether it’s in a spray bottle, in a regular bottle or those cute hand sanitizer keychains they make that you can use as a keychain in your bag – it is completely up to you. Just make sure that it has at least 70% alcohol formulation as this is the baseline number in terms of effectivity in getting rid of the virus. 

When you touch on any other surface, disinfect. After using a public restroom, disinfect. After intentionally or unintentionally touching another person, disinfect. Whatever you do – do not forget to disinfect. 

Aside from being mindful of your person – do not forget to disinfect other important areas in your home. Take the time to clean the surfaces of your tables, countertops or desks both at home and in the office. When you do, make sure to clean your doorknob, light switches, key holders and all other surfaces you can think of. Another place where viruses may already be thriving would be your gadgets. Make sure to disinfect your phone, laptop and all other items which you constantly touch. 

Research shows that phones and other gadget screens can actually breed Coronavirus and other forms of viruses for at least a few hours. It might be a good idea to invest in a phone sanitizing tool, too. 

Practice Respiratory Etiquette 

Gone are the days when unintentionally coughing or sneezing in front of other people can be dismissed simply by saying “sorry”. Now, doing those things would not only cause you to be labeled as “rude”. It can, in fact, be the start of a heated fight or argument. While we are all for keeping your call and trying your best to stay diplomatic as long as you can – it is also understandable that everyone’s anxiety levels are off the roof. To avoid finding yourself in a situation like the one we have just mentioned – practice proper respiratory etiquette. 

When you feel like you are about to cough or about to sneeze – cover your mouth and your nose with a tissue. Otherwise, use the inside of your elbows. Should you opt to do the latter in the event that a tissue or some other wipe cloth is unavailable, make sure to disinfect immediately. 

Do not forget to throw away your used tissue immediately. Dispose used tissue as securely as possible. After throwing it away, make sure to wash your hands, for at least 20 seconds yet again or grab your trusty alcohol or sanitizer and disinfect away. 

Implement Healthy Lifestyle Changes 

Prior to this whole shebang, it is highly likely that you may not have been paying attention to the food you eat, your sleeping habits or the fact that you have not been getting enough exercise- if any at all. While all these things may have been acceptable pre-COVID-19, you may want to rethink your current habits moving forward. 

The bad news is that as of writing, there is still no clear direction as to when a Covid-19 cure would be available. The good news is that, despite that – there are some steps you can take that will reap tangible benefits in terms of your overall health. According to several health experts and researches published regarding Coronavirus, people with underlying health conditions are more likely to get sick. Quite frankly, it makes a lot of sense. Being immunocompromised (i.e. diabetes, obesity, cancer, HIV/AIDS, asthma, lupus, etc.) can make you prone to a whole lot of more serious diseases and complications -not just COVID-19. 

It is not yet too late to implement healthier lifestyle changes. You can start by making an effort to make sure that you have at least 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep. Try diversifying your diet when you go to the grocery or local market. Instead of filling your shopping cart with ready-to-eat meals, processed meat and anything else that has “instant” written all over its labels, try going for more greens. Read up on the labels and steer clear from the ones which contain too much sugar. Since you undeniably have a bit more time on your hands – why not make some meals from scratch? There are healthy recipes that you can make in 10 minutes or less. 

It is not going to be enough to just invest in Personal Protective Equipment or PPEs and face masks, you will have to work on what is inside too. Nonetheless, this brings us to our next point. 

Invest In High-Quality Face Masks and PPEs 

Okay, granted that you have been exerting all efforts to live a much healthier lifestyle. Good job! That is really great to hear. However, this is in no way a guarantee that other people are doing the same for themselves as well. It would still be better to stay protected. 

After staying indoors for months on end, it is totally understandable to want to wear those cute outfits, shoes and what have you that you may have ordered out of impulse or boredom while you were home. We are not here to stop you and we totally get you. However, we also highly recommend that you start getting used to including PPEs such as face shields, face masks, goggles and glasses into your everyday looks. 

Initially, it may feel a little weird wearing these things outside. After all, this is the first time we are witnessing something like this in at least over a century. At times, the loops of your face masks may cause a bit of pain on your ears. The face shield might be a little annoying. At one point, should need to go to a hospital for a check up that is not respiratory or COVID-19 related, you may have to go there sporting a full-on PPE suit. 

However, do know that by taking these extra steps and making these little sacrifices for your safety – you are also showing respect and honoring the hard work being put in every single day by those at the front line. 

Until then, stay home for as long as you can, stay safe and stay healthy!