Basic Pandemic Protections: What You Should Know

Despite some states opening back up and students returning to school, the pandemic rages on. As of October 1, the US has had over 7.3 million cases of COVID-19 and many states are seeing upticks in their numbers.  

The good news is that there are things we can do to protect ourselves, such as maintaining social distance, wearing a mask, and washing hands often. With some diligence and a few sacrifices, you can keep yourself and your family safe from the virus. 

Read on to learn more about basic safety precautions you should be taking. 

Wash Your Hands Often

Wash your hands as often as possible. Use warm water and soap and wash for at least 20 seconds any time you are out in public and return home and in the following situations:

• You cough, sneeze, or blow your nose
• You use the restroom
• Before preparing or eating food
• Before you touch your face
• After coming in contact with another person (especially if they are ill)
  

If you can't wash your hands, make sure you use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol until you can wash them properly.

Wear a Mask

Any time you are around others in public, you should wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose. Masks should have multiple layers of material and should not have valves. The mask isn't a substitute for social distancing, though, so you should still maintain an appropriate distance from others even if you are wearing a mask.

Basic PPE kits should include masks, hand sanitizer, face shields, and even rubber gloves if they are used properly.

Monitor Your Health Daily 

You should be alert for any symptoms of the virus on a daily basis, especially if you are leaving the house. If you have symptoms such as:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Loss of taste or smell
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea 
  

If any of these symptoms develop, contact your healthcare provider and consider avoiding public places. 

Maintain Social Distance

Any time you are in public, maintain proper social distance, which is 6 feet. Adhere to signs and marks on the floor in grocery stores, restaurants, etc. to allow enough space between people. If you are in contact with anyone who is at high risk, this is especially important. 

If anyone in your house gets sick, try to stay away from them as much as possible. If you can, have them isolated in a bedroom or area of the house away from others and have them use a separate bathroom that is cleaned and disinfected regularly.

  
Clean and Disinfect Properly 

High-touch surfaces, such as tables, doorknobs, countertops, door handles, light switches, faucets, phones, remote controls, keyboards, touchpads, etc. should all be cleaned and disinfected daily, or more often if necessary. 

If the surfaces are dirty, clean them first and then disinfect. Be sure to follow proper guidelines for disinfection.

Protect Yourself and Your Family During the Pandemic 

Basic precautions and a commitment to avoiding unnecessary outings are the key to staying healthy during the pandemic. Be smart, take recommendations from credible sources, and do your part to keep others safe and healthy as well. 

Our blog has many other helpful articles on health, keeping yourself safe, and getting involved in the medical field. Before you go, take a look around at some of our other blog posts.
 

This is a guest blog entry.