Introduction:
By now, hopefully, individuals have understood the seriousness of this pandemic, and they should have a stock of their daily needs and home requirements. If people do not think of their safety or if they are overconfident that they can manage going out without getting infected, then they should think about their family, as they can be carriers of the virus to their homes. So, if individuals want to do something for their family, then they should just stay at home and be safe.
What Are the Precautionary Measures to Be Followed During This Pandemic?
It is necessary to stock up with essential things at once without going out frequently. The precautions we should take while going out and returning home from outside for obtaining key essentials are-
Make a List of Essential Things:
First, individuals should make a list of essential things that they will need for a whole week, be it vegetables, milk, or groceries. They should have a plan B. In case they do not get any of these essential things, they should search for a substitute. For example, if they do not get fresh milk, they can go for milk powder or even tetra-pack milk as a substitute in an emergency situation to reduce or minimize the number of times they step out of the house.
Home Delivery Systems:
Individuals should see what facilities are available, such as home delivery systems. Nowadays, most of the grocery marts have opened up their home delivery services, so they should make a list of things that they do not get at their doorsteps and step out for those things only.
At the Time of Receiving Delivery:
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Do not allow a delivery person to enter the home.
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Maintain a distance of 1 meter with the delivery person.
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Ask him to put delivery packages on the floor.
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Reduce unnecessary contact with papers and pen, if required, then an individual should use their own pen for signature.
Use Buddy System:
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Ask for help if someone else is there at home. Use a separate scissor for cutting and opening packages. Keep this scissor as a dedicated scissor for opening outside packages and keep this in an isolated area after every use.
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Individuals should ask their buddy to open the outer package of the item and ask to touch only the inner cover and take the product inside and dispose of the outer package outside the home. Veggies should be washed thoroughly and dried before use. Milk bags should be washed thoroughly and then opened for boiling.
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Also, they should ask their buddy to close the door. After this first thing, go inside the bathroom and wash both hands and face with soap before touching anyone or anything else. It will be better to drink a hot beverage like tea, coffee, or water.
Spend Less Time Outside the Home:
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Whenever a person needs to step out for a few items or for some essential work, they should prefer going to nearby shops.
- While purchasing items and doing other work, one should plan and do it in a single visit. Only one member of the family, who is fit and preferably below 60, should go out.
- If assistance is necessary for purchasing items, then use a wheeled bag or carry-on bag, but company or assistance for shopping should be strictly avoided.
Different Ways to Protect Us:
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Preferably wear a full-length dress, closed shoes, cap and most important thing is a mask.
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Mask should be comfortable, and it should not be touched or adjusted frequently.
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Social distancing, the mask (covering nose + mouth), and no handshakes are mandatory things wherever you go.
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The use of watches, finger rings, and belts should be restricted.
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The mobile wallet should be covered in disposable coverings so as to discard outer covering after coming back and before entering the home. Preferably use cashless mode for payment.
When a person is out, they should not touch their phone often. The use of cordless or headphones is preferable when in public places so as to prevent contamination.
Avoid Using, Touching, or Traveling With the Public:
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Preferably one should use a private vehicle.
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Public transport should be avoided, including crowded places.
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Avoid using public toilets.
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One should use a non-dominant hand or elbow or forearm or foot to push open or press at the sites such as doorbells, door handles, lift buttons, etc., if touching is unavoidable.
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Wherever possible, avoid frequently touching other things.
What Are the Things to Be Taken Care of on Returning Home?
The things to be taken care of on returning home are,
Isolation:
One should keep themselves isolated till we wash our hands and face with soap. We should not touch our home premises with our hands. So press the doorbell button with an elbow, or one can use a small wooden stick or piece of paper to press, and after that, it should be disposed of.
Disinfect the Items Which We Took Out:
All shopping items, your mobile, wallet keys, and all should be kept near the main door, and they should not be touched by any other family member till they get disinfected.
Protocols on Reaching Home:
- One should not touch the door to close it. Let somebody else close the door. After that, one should preferably take a bath or, if not possible, thoroughly wash their hands, face, and feet with soap before touching anything or anyone.
- Clothes that people wear outside should be kept aside and, if possible, washed immediately and separately from other clothes. The use of disinfectant is preferred for clothes.
- As everyone knows Coronavirus is a respiratory virus, one should take steam inhalation after coming from outside for 3 to 4 minutes. After that, drink tea, coffee, or lukewarm water.
What Are the Safety Measures to Be Followed Inside the Home?
1. The use of hand sanitizers, coughing manners, sneezing manners, minimum touching to face and especially to nose and mouth.
2. Kids or babies, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune status should preferably stay in a relatively isolated area.
3. House should be clean and fresh. A humid environment is favorable for the growth of bacteria and viruses. House should be aerated, and cross ventilation should be there.
4. If using air conditioners, make sure that there is good filtration and exchange of air.
5. Preferably, the domestic helper should be avoided, but if it is unavoidable and any outside person is coming for domestic help, then make sure they should do hand sanitization before entering home and should wear a proper mask. Preferably hand gloves should be given to them and disposed of while going out of the home. Social distancing with domestic helpers is preferable.
6. The use of newspapers and magazines should be avoided.
7. Avoid eating outside food. Eat vegetarian and fully cooked homemade food.
What Are the New Precautionary Steps to be Taken in 2023?
Since recently the cases of COVID-19 are increasing again, some precautionary steps could be taken to avoid catching COVID-19 especially while traveling in an airplane. The measures are discussed below.
Stay Up-To-Date With Booster Shots: The latest booster shots can protect against the original virus as well as newer variants such as Omicron.
Using High-Quality Mask: Make sure to use a high-quality mask and ensure that it properly covers the nose and mouth.
Checking the Airlines Guidelines Before Flying: Check airline rules and regulations before flying, and stay informed about any updates or changes to the regulations. Consider downloading the airline's mobile app to make it easier to check for updates.
Prefer a Window Seat While Travelling: Choose a window seat to reduce exposure to people who are standing in the aisles and breathing down. Consider turning on the air vents to improve ventilation.
Conclusion:
Remember that prevention and taking precautions are way better than cure. So be sensible and responsible to reduce exposure to the virus. With all these measures we cannot assure that we can totally avoid exposure, but surely we can reduce it.
