Leaving your home to run errands during the COVID-19 outbreak can be anxiety-inducing. You’re not sure whether to wear gloves, if your single-use mask is still effective, whether to wipe down door handles, etc.,–and another myriad of concerns. We’re here to address one of those concerns: what is the most important thing you can remember when stepping out into public places at this time?
The answer is avoid touching common surfaces before disinfecting them!
Touching surfaces in public places, such as pens or keypads at store checkout counters or doors, is the worst mistake you can make, Lynell Ross, certified health and wellness coach and founder of Zivadream, tells us.
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"You can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces such as doorknobs, rails, credit card pads, and then you touch your eyes, nose or mouth." Yikes!
This is often overlooked because COVID-19 is known to be transmitted through droplets in the air then inhaled into your lungs, hence the focus on wearing face coverings.
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that we clean and disinfect surfaces that people touch such as table tops, counters, door knobs, handrails, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, handles, etc., Lynell explains.
"Though more studies need to be done, it is recommended that we disinfect surfaces that may have been contaminated with the virus, because it may remain there for a period of time," she advises. "When another person touches the contaminated surface, and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, the virus can enter the body.
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Additionally, the virus *may* remain on electronic surfaces and must be disinfected, Lynell warns.
"When you are out in public and hand your credit card to a clerk, or touch surfaces like counters, credit card key pads, and pens to work the key pad machines, be sure to wipe your hands immediately with alcohol-based disinfectant wipes or or hand sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol," she notes.
So, what should you do? Use alcohol or bleach-based disinfectant for at least 4 minutes to fully kill the virus on surfaces, she suggests.
"As you have probably encountered, walking up to pay for something, the clerk can't always disinfect everything you touch between patrons." Great tip!
Additionally, as soon as you have touched any surface that someone else may have touched while out in public, sanitize your hands, Lynell warns. "Get into the habit of avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands."
